Reploid Nation
by Zealswordsmen
Summary: When a group of quarians reach a schorched Earth and find Dr. Light capsule, the scales of power in the galaxy are bound to change. *English is not my native language, so be prepared for a bumpy ride trought grammar. However I'm trying my best to make it a enjoyable reading for you all. Have Fun.*
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note:  
** I don't own the rights to neither Mass effect or Mega man series, in any way.  
Well guys English is not my native language so I have now rewiew this chapter to the best of my abilities, and Microsoft word grammar checer limits, to make it the most enjoyable text I can for you all. Hope you enjoy it.

 **Chapter 1 – A plead to the future.**

Taro'Xen looked up through his visor. The quarian looked to the skies of that alien world, tinted in a mix of grey and blue due to the high number of sediments in the atmosphere.

He looked around seeing the remains of a huge metropolis. Carcass of buildings, having their metal frames exposed to the wind and elements. Destroyed vehicles, metal constructs, and bones of a long dead specie.

His little expedition has now lasted more than ten years. A little too long for a pilgrimage in his opinion. However, a most certainly worth.

He found the planet after he was running away, with other quarians in their pilgrimage, from slavers. Since then the group of pilgrims have pooled their resources and hired a krogan mercenary for protection. Some of the synthetics remains were still active and berserk.

"Taro! Taro!"

Taro sighted at the excited voice of his assistant, a young quarian girl that the name keep eluding him. Her suit had an astounding purple color, and curves that turned the necks of all quarians that he have found so far.

Taro grunted as he asked.  
"Yes what is it?"

The Quarian was prancing on her feet.  
"I think we found an intact bunker! The scans reveal an intact area a few meters below the surface."

Taro's eyes widened. So far, they had to contempt themselves with scavenging for remains of these 'Humans'. They have managed to hack in a few still operational servers of their World Wide Web. And learn of their history.

All appointed to a war waged between two scientists, masters in the field of robotics with unique set of values.

In all his life, Taro never expected that there would be a species out there that would have overcome his own in the field of synthetics or like the humans dubbed it robotics.  
Even more stunning was the fact that they actually lived in peace with their synthetics creations. Their synthetics never rebelled against the organics.

All because of the most ingenious process he could ever thought of.  
The three laws of robotics.

 _1\. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm._

 _2\. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law._

 _3\. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws._

The coexistence was never about making synthetics dumb enough to obey, but to make the rules so they could never disobey. The three laws were the nature of robots.

However, even that had its limits. The texts and information scavenged were a little blur on the subject, but it appears that Dr. Light greatest creation, a robot named Mega man. Grew enough to surpass the three laws and Killed Doctor Willy. Which somehow unleashed the crazy doctor latest creation a red berserker robot named Zero and a virus dubbed the Maverick Virus that made all robots berserks.

All human kind found its final days in the hands of its own creations. Taro hypothesized that if humans had mastered space flight they might had escaped extinction just as his own people had done with the Geth.

He looked back at the excited quarian girl.  
"It's the krogan there already? He is here for a reason."

She huffed and put her hands on her hips.  
"He has a name you know!"

He just huffed.  
"Just show me what you have found."

She shocked her head and guided him through the city ruins.  
"At least tell me you are as excited as I am!"

He scoffed the remark.  
"Only if we find anything of worth."

She tilted her head in disbelief.  
"'Anything of worth' with the tech we scavenge here we are now years ahead of better understanding synthetics that we have ever been. This technology could even bring us back to Rannoch. Give us the upper hand in defeating the Geth once and for all!"

Taro kept his thought to himself remembering that first they would have to find a way to tame that technology were the humans failed. And second they still needed the resources to try to retake the home world. And he didn't saw that happening so soon.

They arrived at the dig site; a massive Krogan was by side to the mining laser, his red head crest marked with three scars across blood colored irises. Taro did not like him neither did the krogan liked him but both respected each other in their realm of expertise.

The krogan had its shotgun ready, when he saw Taro coming closer he growled in his low voice.  
"Once the laser stops I'll come in. You pyjacks wait for me to make sure everything is secure. Don't want your frail bodies crushing under some crazy synthetic."

He them smiled with a predatory grim.  
"Need to keep those credits rolling."

Taro just nodded in acknowledge, then gesture for the rest of the group to draw their weapons. The mine laser stopped working, reveling a new dug tunnel. The Krogan looked down the tunnel and walked in the darkness.

Fifteen minutes later, his voice came through the Omni tool.  
"It's all clear. You Pyjacks can come down now."

The young quarian girl responded.  
"Thank you Wrex."

His voice laughed.  
"For you anytime Ari'Bekk!"

The other quarians stared at her. She just shrugged.  
"What? He's fun to talk with and has a great sense of humor!"

Taro shook his head.  
"Let's get over with it!"

They walked into the old lab; Wrex was leaned in a wall. The only light of the lab were from their flashlights, a thick layer of dust covered everything. Working spaces, computers, tools. Everything surprisingly well preserved.

Taro gesture and begun to give orders.  
"Very well, try reactivating the computers. See what you can find. I want scanning of those tools, they look incredible advanced…"

Ari's voice cut of him off.  
"Taro?"

He ruffed.  
"What?"

He turned the flashlight to her direction illuminating what appeared to be a cryogenic capsule covered in dust.  
He slowly walked towards it. His hand cleaned over its layer of dust reveling a symbol that his translator promptly translated as X. They had scavenged enough data to properly translate the language of this people.

Taro's Voice was almost a whisper.  
"What is this?"

The lights in the ancient lab flickered, the krogan battle master was ready for a fight and all the quarians were startled.

Except Taro, that barked in annoyance.  
"It's just an automated light system!"

Some computers went back on line, and everyone turned to Ari as her voice rose in awe.

"Keelah!"

Taro was ready to berate her when his eyes fell on the computer screen, the image of an elderly human leaning on a cane. His dark eye looking tired, like carrying the weight of the world. His backs slightly curved thought time. He wore a white coat. A long white hair that mixed up with his long white beard.

Taro understood the awe, that human was Doctor Thomas Light. The father of robotics.

The image on the monitor begun to speak.  
"My name is Thomas Light I am the researcher how design and built Mega man X."

The image of Dr. Light begun coughing sickly for a moment. To say that Taros was overwhelmed for the implications of that simple phrase was an understatement. He knew whom the doctor was, what he have done, what his creation Mega man was capable of. And now he was on the doctor personal lab with his last creation.

He almost did not heard the figure to continue its speech.  
"I granted X special powers that no other robot possess. Utilizing his conscious, he is able to think, worry and act entirely of his own accord. This means he's also imbued with the materials necessary to facilitate the evolution of robots in the same manner as life."

Taro heard the other quarians gasp whispering "Geth" and "Keelah". They did not comprehend what Dr. Light had made. True sentient synthetics. Full aware of its own existence just like an organic mind.

"It's an unfortunate fact that human life is short and fleeting. I fear that I will not have the time to ensure the safety of the X project. That's why I have decided to seal him away."

Taro looked down, his hand still touching the capsule with an X on it, and his mind clicked. Possibly the most advanced synthetic ever created was right there for him to take. The sheer amount of technologies he could bring to the fleet just from X alone sent shivers down his spine.

"Perhaps he will be discovered in the far flung future and will fight valiantly to ensure peace for all people. Yes. I firmly believe that this will come to pass."

Taro looked at the image of Doctor Light. The idea sounded ridiculous. Why would a synthetic fight for organics.

"But I'm not without worry. I fear that X will be swept up in the war we call progress. I urge the people of the future to remember that X is my… nay. The worlds hope."

The video flickered and faded away. A minute of silence ruled as what was said to sink in.

Taro looked around, all quarians silent, he them directed to Ari.  
"I want readings on this capsule."

All of then seemed to wake from awed expressions and begun to work, Ari activated her scans. Wrex was in thoughtful silent.

Taro walked in direction of the krogan and calmly asked.  
"What are you thinking krogan?"

Wrex growled.  
"We have been fighting those insane robots and so far they make the Ymyr mechs look like cub varrens. Throw that with the things we found about the doc's last blue creation and we have a big problem."

Taro touched his vocal piece.  
"You are too smart for a krogan."

Wrex just huffed.  
"Anyway you got give those humans credit. They saw the end of their civilization and kept moving forward trying to build a legacy… No a future. If there was one thing they had it was hope."

The older mercenary krogan seemed to fall in deeper thought. Taro just moved away, knowing that his thoughts would be with his people. The krogan were a race without hope. Note that the quarians weren't any better.

Stuck like Ary'Bekk in a false hope of retaking Rannoch. Without a resource income of their own, that was nothing but a pipe dream.

One of the quarians called Taro.  
"Taro I found blue prints."

Taro moved to one of the quarians, the young pilgrim was shacking its head.  
"Sorry it's just rubbish. It's not possible to make heads or tail of it."

Taro moved closer.  
"It's not Rubbish. It's just too advanced."

All the quarians turned to him as he kept analyzing the prints.  
"Much of these formulas are simply beyond us. Look at this equation; it's easier to analyze the schematics of a Mass Effect Core."

Ari spoke up.  
"Taro I can't get a clear reading on X!"

Taro just turned its head.  
"Why not?"

Her omnitool was opens, her fingers dancing across it.  
"Because everything is off charts. Look at these processors! His armor is some kind of titanium… This cannot be right says that it is ten times stronger and lighter than the regular alloy. Keelah he has a buster!"

Taro took a moment to look back in the blue prints.  
"Here says it's the MK17 X Buster."

One of the pilgrims was almost breathless.  
"Taro we can go back from our pilgrimage with a working direct energy weapon! Not even the salarians have made one of those."

Another quarian scoffed him off.  
"And you know why? Because the energy for such a thing to work is beyond prohibitive. He must work on a micro nuclear power thing."

Taros voice came shivering.  
"It solar."

Everyone on the lab stopped to look at Taro'Xen who just spoke lauder, fighting to process what he was reading.  
"Ancestors! Dr. Light made it all work on solar power."

Ari voice came in a higher pitch.  
"Taro the capsule has a timer to set X free!"

Taro turned to her immediately.  
"How much time?"

Her Omni tool gave the timer.  
"20"

Taro eye brown shoot up.  
"Years?"

She shocked her head moving away from the capsule.  
"Seconds!"

Wrex took the front growling pulling up his shotgun.  
"Back to the tunnel pyjakcs! Now!"

All the quarians run away from the lab while the capsule begin to hiss setting out mist. Wrex looked to his side to see Taro'Xen with his pistol down. Wrex huffed.  
"If you don't go back I can't guarantee your life skinny."

Taro just nodded in acknowledge. The capsule slowly opened, the mist went up, a humanoid form rose. It was mostly covered in a bluish armor. Its helmet a red gen, Taro questioned himself of the utility of such thing. The face had a remarkable resemblance with the asari, but more masculine. Its green eyes swept through the laboratory and rest on the krogan and the quarian.

X stepped away from his capsule and heard the sound of Wrex coking his shotgun.  
"That's far enough Pyjack!"

X eyes focused on the huge lizard creature. Behind his eyes scanners begun to roll information. Another creature by his side, looked human, but the legs and the hand were wrong.

X took a step back analyzing the room calculating odds and tactics, while his mind worked on that he asked.  
"What are you?"

The second being stepped forward.  
"He is a Krogan. And I am Taro'Xen a quarian researcher."

X eyes widened.  
"You are not human."

Taro nodded.  
"No we are not. We came from very far away X."

X's eyes seemed to sharpen.  
"And where are the humans?"

Taro stepped aside and gesture to the krogan to lower his weapon. Wrex just growled.  
"I hope you know what you are doing skinny."

Wrex grumpily put away his shotgun; X observed the quarian Taro looking at him with fascination as X relaxed.

Taro them gestured to the entrance.  
"It's better if you see for yourself X."

X observed as a projected screen appeared on Taro's wrist as he seemed to communicate with someone else.  
"We are coming out X is coming with us."

Taro walked X through the tunnel being followed by Wrex, When X got out the tunnel he looked at the grayish sky of his world. And looked around.  
Ruins till where the eyes could see. Fallen buildings metal structures and dust flying in the horizon with a hollowing wind. The quarians looked at X in awe as his eyes were filed with pain and sorrow. Wrex watched closely, he knew the feeling.

Taro stepped up.  
"Come on Wrex. Let's show X the humans."

Wrex silently nodded and accompanied then while the other quarians exchanged nervous looks.

Ari stepped up.  
"Taro…"

Taro cut her off with steel in his voice.  
"Stay here and watch the base!"

Ari just nodded, Wrex nodded in approval. If X was trouble, the others would not be in the way. Taro was making sure they would be okay; Wrex could respect that kind of leader.  
X eyes were looking at a ruined world. His metaphorical stomach lurched at the sigh.

Taro stop at the top of a hill and step aside for X.  
"There are the humans."

X stepped up the hill, while Wrex got ready to shoot. Taro gave him a perfect shot if needed. Nevertheless, X just fell on his knees. And screamed.  
Taro could see through the free eyes the pain and sorrow, in front of him the remains of a battle field, human bones and robot remains from a long forgotten battle.  
X could not cry, but for Wrex his lament sounded deeper than some krogan up piles of baby corpses in Tuchanka.

X voice cracked.  
"That's got be someone."

Taro knell by his side and rested a hand on his shoulder.  
"We have been searching your world for the last ten years X. You are the most alive thing we met so far. I can show you our ship scans but that's pretty much it."

X processor were overwhelmed, his mind had a hard time to understanding it all. If all humans were gone…  
"Then what am I here for?"

Wrex saw that growl that hit to close to home. A warrior without purpose. The battle master walked by his side and growled.  
"That doctor said that you would fight for all people."

X raised his eyes to look at the towering image of the battle master that stared back at him.  
"Cause if you didn't notice we ARE people."

X stepped up, and Taro'Xen started.  
"Let me tell you a story X. About a world called Rannoch."

Taro then eyed Wrex.  
"And a world called Tuchanka."


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors Note:  
** I don't own the rights to neither Mass effect or Mega man series, in any way.  
Well guys English is not my native language so I have now rewiew this chapter to the best of my abilities, and Microsoft word grammar checer limits, to make it the most enjoyable text I can for you all. Hope you enjoy it.

 **Chapter 2 – Possibilities.**  
Ari'Bekk Nar Telaia was coding Doctor Light's schematics for their servers on their ship. While others were scanning and analyzing the tools that the good doctor left behind.

She heard then speaking.  
"It's fairly amazing to actually find a functional robot made by Doctor Light."

The other pilgrim was nodding.  
"Yes it is. More so, their are bound by those three rules. We have nothing to fear them."

Ari intruded their speaking.  
"X is not bound by the laws of robotics."

The other two turned to her.  
"What do you mean Ari?"

Ari just pull up doctor Lights message in her Omni tool.  
"I granted X special powers that no other robot possess. Utilizing his conscious, he is able to think, worry and act entirely of his own accord."

The two pilgrims just gave her a blank look, she huffed.  
"X is free to decide what's right and what's wrong. I think Doctor Light changed the way he understood synthetics after the cataclysm."

The two pilgrims just jolted in understanding.  
"But what keeps X from attacking us then?"

Ari smiled.  
"A really big krogan."

The two pilgrims just swore in unison and Ari put her hand up in a placating gesture.  
"Okay, okay. Calm down. Look, what keep Taro from shooting you up?"

The pilgrim just shocked its head.  
"No quarian in good conscious would shoot another just for the sake of it."

Ari just nodded.  
"It's the same principle with X."

The two pilgrims exchanged worried looks but seemed satisfied for the time.  
"Fair well them. By the way where is Taro'Xen?"

Ari shrugged.  
"He went with Wrex and X to verify some weird readings the ship got from surface."

X was in a shuttle, the last few days he have been looking through the material the quarians have acquired about Earths cataclysm, the end of the human race. The war with the maverick robots. Moreover, even seeing with his own eyes the wasteland that the humans home… no. The wasteland HIS home world have become.

X just looked up to Wrex siting across him in checking up his own shotgun. Wrex looked in his direction with his red blood irises.  
"What is it runt?"

X green eye never tore away, Wrex had to recognize, and the little runt did not even flinch.  
"Why do you fight Wrex? Why to be a warrior and leave your world?"

The krogan mercenary laughed bitterly.  
"For credits."

X eyes widened at Wrex. However, after looking at a scorched Earth that kind of made sense. If, and only if, you were willing to give up hope.  
"What about Tuchanka and the krogans Wrex? Ever thought about going back and do something for them?"

Wrex barked a laugh.  
"I gave up on then a long time ago runt."

Wrex looked down back at his shotgun signaling that this talk was over, X just nodded when taros voice came through the speaker.  
"We arrive at destination. An island with a very peculiar energy signature. I believe it might be some sort of reactor mobile reactor."

X stared back at Taro'Xen piloting the shuttle.  
"A mobile reactor?"

Taro Shrugged.  
"For that scale of energy signature, nothing else make sense. In addition, I know that it is moving around. Perhaps it our luck that it is in an isolated island. However, it seems to have been some sort of military base. "

Wrex ruffed.  
"Another weapon would be good."

An uncomfortable silence laid down the shuttle. Taro Coughed.  
"Well this is it."

To sound of the shuttle engines died as they feel the shuttle touching the ground with a thud. The door opened and Wrex was the first to walk out, X and Taro came along.

Taro had his omnitool open and scanning, he then pointed.  
"It should be a few miles in that direction."

Wrex huffed as he draw his shotgun.  
"We could have landed a little closer don't you think skinny?"

X arm glowed and changed in the form of his buster, readying himself for combat just like Wrex.

Taro just shocked his head.  
"Don't you think I thought of that? The terrain is too irregular krogan. We will have to walk."

They walked around the remains of the base when Taro suddenly halted. X looked back.  
"Something wrong?"

Taro kept his eyes on his Omni tool readings.  
"The energy source seen to have just change directions. Coming right at…"

Taro did not finish to speak as X tackled him. Before Taro could understand what was happening a bolt of light passed right above his head.  
The bolt of light cut clean across wall behind then, Taros eyes widened in fear.

X was on his feet.  
"Taro get to cover!"

Taro run behind a pile of rubble and look back, X and Wrex were fighting another Synthetic. A red synthetic with a violet aura of energy. Taros eye widened identifying the robot responsible for the cataclysm.  
Zero.  
One might roar and a power explosion and Wrex was send flying through the pile of rubble.

He got up with his armor breached spitting blood. Wrex turned his eye to Taro.  
"Why don't you do something useful skinny? And start throwing some overloads on that thing!"

The battle master roared and charged back in to the fight where X was evading multiple shots from Zero.  
Taro quickly opened his Omni tool to run the overload program. However the programs were not working.

Taro's mind run through the possibilities he soon found a virus.  
"Boshtet!"

He heard Wrex voice growling on the comns.  
"Where are those overloads Skinny!"

Taro cursed while his finger ran through the interface of the omnitool.  
"The boshtet is carrying the maverick virus!"

Wrex voice rumbled on the other side.  
"You think?"

Taro just groaned annoyed.  
"Just keep it busy!"

Taro heard an explosion and felt the ground shake, Wrex voice growled.  
"What do you think I'm doing here?"

Wrex shotgun roared toward the red moving blur that was Zero, shot after shot missing. Wrex could not help to notice that the little robot laughing maniacally. It was enjoying the fight a little too much in Wrex opinion.

Zero invested getting close to Wrex the krogan kicked Zero in the chest; the red robot flew crashing against a wall. Wrex promptly throw a grenade at it.

The wall exploded rising a dust cloud. Wrex got his shotgun ready and took aim at whatever was moving. Zero jumped through the wall on the upper floor, maniacally laughing with his buster primed, pointing at Wrex head. A shot of light hit Zero right on the chest, sending him flying back to the building floor.  
Wrex looked back X buster was fuming. The battle master gave him an approving nod.

Taro come by them.  
"I managed to purge the virus form my systems. Overload Primed."

Wrex acknowledge and move in the direction of the building, when Zero jumped on Taro from crumbles of another building nearby. The maverick robot got the quarian in a hostage maneuver.

Wrex Roared.  
"Dammit Skinny!"

Taro had a buster with the diameter of a fist pointed at his face, and a maniacal robot laughing at his friends trying to aim without risking the scientist.  
Taro looked Wrex in the eyes and nodded, Zero immediately shot at the krogan that was sending flying while pieces of his armor scattered around. Taro active the overload and a blast of arching lightings enveloped him and the red robot. Both of them screaming in pain.  
X took aim and froze; Zero was convulsing but still had a firm grip on Taro, which seem unconscious. The berserker maverick seemed to be recovering it movements when Wrex shotgun roared and Zeros helmet splintered, his angular blue gem fragmenting while the robot seemed to fall unconscious. 

Taro screamed, clutching his arm. Wrex shotgun puncture thought his suit. Wrex stood up and advanced upon X that was static in a daze, when his eyes turned to Wrex the battle master head-butted him. X fall on the ground. Alerts that his optics were now unaligned blared up.

X look u to Wrex that growled at him.  
"Listen well whelp! There are times when you can't hesitate in pulling the trigger."

The krogan pointed at taro on the ground.  
"I have seen enough to know that your aim and that canon of yours is better shot than I am. You could have saved skinny there without hurting him!"

Wrex walked up taro that was already covering his suit with sealant. The quarian barked.  
"Thanks for the save krogan. Next time try to not aim at my arm!"

Wrex laughed.  
"Ah, the benefits of a redundant nervous system."

Taro growled.  
"I'm a quarian! I don't have those!"

Wrex shrugged smiling.  
"Well sucks for you."

Taro shocked his head and stood up, walking towards the red robot.  
"So this is Doctor Willy Creations. The man was delusional but was a genius none the lass."

Wrex got a grenade.  
"It was a fun fight, but I think it's about time to clean up the trash."

X came between then, with determination on his eyes and steel in his voice.  
"No."

The two looked at him and them between them. Taro'Xen stepped up.  
"What do you mean X?"

The blue robot looked at the red one.  
"I have been thinking."

Wrex grumbled.  
"Oh joy."

Taro looked angry with Wrex and X ignored the krogan.  
"I have decided to keep my promise to doctor Light. To fight for hope. To fight for justice. But I can't do that on my own. There just so many wrong thing in this galaxy. Like the Genophage ore the migrant fleet!"

Wrex stared X down just to see that he meant every word. The blue robot kept speaking.  
"And I will need help. That is why I will fix this guy. It is also an opportunity to cut the Maverick virus in the bud right?"

Taro just stepped back startled.  
"Well that's true, he as the original virus, but you can't…"

X cut the quarian.  
"And that's why you and the quarians will go back to the migrant fleet with our best technologies to help them. And Wrex will go back to Tuchanka to unite his people."

Wrex just Stared Down at the blue robot, and his red blood Irises seemed to lighten up.  
"Why should I do that? I tried it once and all I got was betrayal! There's no hope for the krogan!"

X stepped up to the krogan.  
"The humans didn't have hope Wrex! And they keep building to the last breath! Hopping that tomorrow would be better! They saw extinction stared it in the face! What are the krogan doing in front of their greatest enemy Wrex?"

The krogan stepped in front of X growling, hatred seemed to pour out of him. For a moment Taro fought that Wrex would simply stomp over X.

The krogan them stepped back barking.  
"Bah! That's makes no difference! Even if I were to make the krogan one people again, what do we get from it?"

X just stared back at Wrex.  
"The end of the thousands of baby corpses on Tuchanka."

Taro widened it eyes, Wrex Growled at him.  
"You better not make promises you can't keep whelp! I don't believe that you have the cure for the Genophage in this barren land."

X shocked his head.  
"I'm not giving the cure to the Genophage Wrex. You will get it directly from the Council, by yourself, through your people and from the council. I will restore Earth and honor the human's memory. And Taro'Xen here will go back to the fleet and start a new wave of technological revolution. Because we will not be able to depend on the council good grace to make things right."

The two aliens exchanged looks with worry, X them smirked.  
"You guys shouldn't have given me access to the extranet."


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note:  
** I don't own the rights to neither Mass effect or Mega man series, in any way.  
Well guys English is not my native language so I have now rewiew this chapter to the best of my abilities, and Microsoft word grammar checer limits, to make it the most enjoyable text I can for you all. Hope you enjoy it.

 **Chapter 3 – Plans on the move.**

X was typing away in his computer terminal. He sighted and looked around, there were a small team of robots, all like him resembling humans in a way or another, but above all they were sentient like him. He smiled at that.

The building was a large four store police station. They savage most of the base and did what they could to repair it. But there was so much you could do with savage old goods.

A beep come up the terminal, X hit it giving in to Zero image. X frowned Zero was due to report in a few days. The red reploid was the best fighter they had and took on himself the duty of guiding the other reploids in the way of fighting. He assembled a few reploids in a group responsible for scavenging and defending their group from maverick robots.

They dubbed themselves Maverick Hunters.  
"Is something wrong Zero?"

Zero just wave it off.  
"You worry too much X. We just runned across a few mavericks, some guys will be arriving sooner with savage items."

X nodded.  
"Got it. I will let the security teams on base to know and the science team to be ready. We are needing new parts. You know building new people."

A new robot came along to X looking over his shoulder. Her blue eyes portrayed a friendly professionalism. A short blonde hair adorning her head wearing a pinkish light armor, showing her figure as really feminine.

She smiled at Zero trough the terminal.  
"Oh hey there Zero. Helping building the reploid nation taking one maverick at a time?"

X seemed to cringe at the word 'Reploid', Zero laughed.  
"I don't think there is a point fighting it X. I think the name kind of stuck."

X sighted and looked up to Alia.  
"I really don't think that the new robots should see themselves as replicas of mine."

Alia shook her head, emulating the letters.  
"R.E.P.L.O.I.D.S. We are all derivate from your blue prints X. You are pretty much the father of all reploids out there. We far beyond a simple robot and far behind you or Zero there. But we are a new people, and everyone kinda took a liking to the name."

Zero quipped in smiling.  
"I think you should accept it X. The reploids might see it as an insult if you just refuse it. Oh speaking of reploids. Alia see if you can help me."

Alia tilted her head.  
"What's wrong?"

Zero scratched his head and sighted.  
"Look I'm good for coordinating small groups of fighters and I'm a really good fighter myself."

X smirked.  
"Show off!"

Zero waved him away.  
" You know is true. Anyway the numbers we are growing I think we are in need of someone a little better at coordinating a fighting organization."

X scratched his chin.  
"Well I think we could put a little more CPU power…"

Zero cut him off.  
"That won't do. No offense Alia, but you reploids are really low aspects build."

Alia pouted.  
"Well sorry if you don't like my work. Not everyone had the opportunity to be built by singular geniuses of robotics. In an era where you actually had resources."

Zero shook his head sighting.  
"Anyway, I think the Hunters need a commander with high aspects. It might be worth to pool the resources to it. You know built a guy with the smarts, that can fight like me and worry about the reploids like X there does."

Alia smirked.  
"You do realize that you just said that neither you or X have the smarts."

X raised an eye brown to Alia.  
"I don't remember coding you to be devious."

Alia nodded.  
"Exactly. Zero we talked about it. The self-determined algorithm in X basic coding cannot program a reploid full personality. We can give good pointers to it but in the end it's the reploid that will decide its own personality."

Zero pinched the bridge of his nose.  
"Look I'm no scientist. Just make sure you guys don't build a berserker war machine, that I will have to deal later."

Alia smirked.  
"Like someone we know?"

Zero glared at her.  
"Zero out."

The connection was them cut off. X looked at Alia.  
"Don't be rough on him Alia. Zeros don't show but he really feel guilty about the humans."

Alia shrugged and typed a few commands on X terminal, and a blue print raised up.  
"Funny Zero brought up the subject. I was already developing a new high aspect reploid. Someone to get on the same level as you or Zero. Of course I didn't even got close. I'm no Doctor Light."

X looked over the blue prints and the main code.  
"I see space for a few improvements."

Alia smirked.  
"Now how's showing off."

X smiled and looked at the name of the new reploid.  
"'Sigma'. Guess we are got a new commander for the Maverick Hunters."

* * *

Wrex stepped up on Urdnot clan fortress, a young krogan blocked his way.  
"Stop right there old krogan! This is clan Urdnot terri…"

Wrex tossed the full armor clad krogan to the side like a rag doll.  
"Out my way whelp. I got business to deal here."

Other krogan just stepped aside from Wrex while he stepped in the clan leader room. A krogan almost as intimidating as Wrex was sitting in the 'throne'.  
"How dare you show your cowardly plates here Wrex?"

Wrex growled back.  
"I'm here to lead us. You can either follow me or get out of the way."

Wreave raise form his 'throne'.  
"I'm the leader of the Urdnot. You have no right!"

Wrex throw his weapons aside.  
"I have all the right and I challenge you Wreave!"

An elderly krogan stepped out of shadows smiling at Wrex.  
"His right Wreave, he has the right! He is the son of the former leader, and just like you he can summon a challenge. I as the shaman recognize the challenge. Unless you are afraid of good old Wrex here Wreave."

Wreave grunted as the other krogans exchanged grumbling whispers. Wrex smiled at the shaman.  
"Good to see the good old bag of bones is still around."

The ancient shaman just grunted back at Wrex. When Wreave soundly charged at Wrex with his shotgun firing at point blank range. Blood flew as Wrex barriers gave away.

Wreave was giving a victorious grinning.  
"You gone soft Wrex. Never let your guard down."

Wreave them felt the barrel of Wrex shotgun under his throat, and Wrex gave a predatory grin.  
"Never in deed."

Wrex then stepped up and Wreave growled putting down his gun. Wrex then stared him right in the eye. The battle master would like to simple blow his wretched brother head in tiny bits. That was the way the krogans have been since the Genophage. However to build a future somethings would have to change.  
"You can follow me Wreave and guide our people to the future. Or be stuck up in the past. Waiting a slow death. Your choice."

Wreave growled and bowed its head.  
"I will follow Wrex."

Wrex moved his gun away, Wreave jumped up with his shotgun, Wrex diverted his gun with one hand, and shoot him with the other. Wreave's brains splattered trough the floor.  
Wrex huffed at the spineless coward. He looked around satisfied, many krogans looked confused.

Wrex showed compassion and even forgiveness towards the cowardly Wreave and even after the betrayal Wrex was victorious.

The message was clear. It was time to change. Wrex voice roared around the hall.  
"I'm Urdnot Wrex! Leader of the clan Urdnot! And I'm leading the krogan people towards a future!"

Wrex then turned to one of the shaman females watching in the shadows.  
"You Shaman!"

The female rose up and tilted her head curiously, her voice boomed in low tone.  
"What do you want Wrex?"

Wrex nodded.  
"Tell me. What's more important? The warrior? The builder? The female? Ore the children?"

The shaman squinted her eyes while all the krogans in the hall started grumbling one another.

The female walked into the light.  
"The builder creates our great hall, provide a home to live, water, food. The female bear children, keep the traditions and bring clarity to the blood rage. The children are the future of the people. And the warrior exists to protect them all from danger."

She them squinted her eyes.  
"They are all important Urdnot Wrex! Without one you have none."

The hall exploded in shouts and raging curses. The ancient krogan nodded an approving smile at Wrex. That gave his predatory grim at the confusion of the hall.

His voice them boomed silencing all.  
"Enough! What the shaman says is true! For too long our people have been simple guns to hire! Only living for the next damn credits payment. It's time for our people to be whole again!"

The ancient shaman stepped forward.  
"Wrex is right. For too long we have only focused in being warriors that we forgot the most important of all."

All krogans silenced looking at the shaman.  
"All krogan are warriors! And that we have many types of warriors. The warrior that builds, fights against failure and the elements. The mother is a warrior that fights against our most feared adversary the Genophage. And our children's are warrior's hat fight against a bleak future."

All krogans were nodding, suddenly mechanics and engineers were looked upon almost as revered battle masters. Wrex smiled, they understood what he meant.

The female shaman stepped up.  
"Those are nice words Wrex. But what about the Genophage?"

All eyes fell on the leader of clan Urdnot. He was expecting this.  
"There is no point ignoring the Genophage. It's our most gruesome enemy. Not because it leaves one at a thousand to be born, but because of the piles of dead children laying around. Tell me how many have you lost already shaman?"

The female stepped back and lowered her head.  
"Far too many."

Wrex then nodded.  
"And when have you stopped trying? A hundred years ago? Perhaps more?"

She didn't answer. Wrex voice growled low.  
"What is your name shaman?"

Her eyes glared at him in defiance.  
"Bakara."

Wrex voice boomed.  
"We can't let this fight against the Genophage to our females alone! Bakara, as long as I am your mate I will be with you in this fight! As long as you don't give up hope neither will I."

All the female in the hall had their eyes glued at the two krogan, Bakara then said, her voice almost a whisper.  
"It will not be a pretty sight Wrex."

Wrex agreed.  
"No it will not. But it's up to us to at least keep trying."

Wrex then turned to all the females in the hall.  
"Neither one of you will keep this fight alone! Neither will we wept anymore for the unborn children! We shall honor the ones that had destine taken away from them by overcoming the Genophage in its own game."

He them turned to the elder Krogan in the hall.  
"We will no longer be fighting each other for petty scrabbles. We will build and train our Krogans. In such a way that any krogan out there will think twice before saying that they are warriors! Our engineers will not bring the glory of the past to us, but build the bridges to our future. Our females shall be respected because they are fighting a true gruesome battle."

He heard many approving nods and shouts. He then turned to the shaman stretching his claws.  
"Help me in guiding our people Bakara."

Bakara stared the krogan in the eyes. He had nothing that would give them an upper hand. He didn't have a cure to the Genophage. He didn't even brought new weapons for the krogan. But in the deep of those crimson blood red eyes, was a roaring flame of hope. The call of a battle. A battle that if she fell on she would not regret a thing in her life. She took his hand and he gave her a predatory grin.

Both of then shouted in the hall.  
"For the future!"

And a thousand krogan roared back.  
"FOR THE FUTURE!"

* * *

"For crying out loud! Could you turn that thing down?"

Taro'Xen berated Ari'Brekk as she was listening techno music they have found on Earth.

Ari just pouted back.  
"Oh come on Taro! It's our victory music! For our triumphal return to the Fleet!"

Taro just growled at her, their ship. An old batarian scout ship that they manage to savage from a debris field. It was approaching the ships of the Migrant Fleet. Two light cruisers approached then.

Taro'Xen looked back at the other pilgrims.  
"If we are going ahead with the blue robot plan I must know now if you all agree with it or not."

All of then exchanged looks and one by one they nodded in agreement.

Taro nodded at them when a voice crackled trough the coms.  
"Unknown vessel. You are approaching the Migrant Fleet, state your business."

Ari'Bekk took the coms stating with pride.  
"This is Ari'Bekk Nar Telaia from the scout ship, Karkant. We are pilgrims returning with gifts from our pilgrimage. Requesting permission to dock at the Raya"

"Ari'Bekk, please verify."

Ari perked up sitting straight, her voice acquiring a solemn tone.  
"After time adrift among open stars, along tides of light and trough shoals of dust. I will return to where I began."

The voice crackled trough the coms.  
"Permission granted. Welcome back Ari'Bekk. I believe the patrol fleet will be happy to have your scout among their ranks. You will probably meet the admiralty board. Very few pilgrims actually manage to bring ships."

Ari looked at Taro that nodded at her.  
"Actually we have a pilgrimage present for admiralty board eyes only. Aside from the ship."

Ari'Bekk looked around nervously rubbing her hands. They were in one of the many cargo holds of the Raya. The massive ship didn't lack in any of them, but they were always filled to the brim. This one was especially emptied. The admirals were talking among them while their escorts moved around the cargo bay. Ari saw her uncle the admiral from the patrol fleet. Perhaps the only reason why they got the meeting with the admiralty.

Taro was setting up the presentation, he then looked at a nervous Ari and sighted.  
"Will you stop that? We are not pilgrims anymore Ari."

Ari put her hands on her hips.  
"I can't help it! I'm nervous."

Taro shook his head, he just finished putting up the holo projectors. He then took the front of the presentation and the admiralty stopped talking taking places on prepared benches to watch what was so important.

The light in the cargo bay dimed as a video of a group of seven quarians fixing the batarian scout ship.  
"Ten years ago we began our pilgrimage. We pooled resources with others and got ourselves our own ship. We savaged the Karkan scout ship. After that we were working a few jobs on the Terminus when slavers begun to chase us. We escaped making jumps through a series of uncharted Relays."

Many of quarians present started whispering, some in disproval, and others apprehensively. Taro continued.

While the image changed to a garden world, mostly grayish blue.  
"Upon our jumps we find this planet in a system, which for purposes of security will remain a secret, this garden world. What actually is interesting is what we found in the surface of the said world."

The image then changed to the video of a scorched metropolis. Tall building in shambles amidst sand storms. There where gasps of surprise.

The admiral of the heavy fleet, Uto'Nich raised his voice.  
"You found a new species?"

Taro'Xen stared at the admiral in contemplative silence, then the presentation changed for the image of an ancient battle ground, full of machines and bones.

Taro'Xen voice sounded ominous.  
"No we found a planetary tomb. According to the registry on the planet the sentient species of that planet, known as humans. Have met mass destruction only hundred years before we found their world."

Some more footage kept going awhile awed whispers went through the room.

Ken'Bekk Admiral of the patrol fleet asked touching his voice box.  
"You said they have met mass destruction. What exactly happened?"

Taro shook his head.  
"Before I get to that I want to present what we manage to gather from humans."

Ari stepped up as Taro stepped down and went to a crate they have brought from Earth. The projector image changed showing male and female humans.

Ari then pointed at then, while smiled at the surprised gasps.  
"As you can see, they are strikingly similar to us and the asari. Although their body is more similar to an asari they are bi-gendered. But possess hair like us. I mean underneath the suits. They have a very interesting history, from what I could recall from their archives that weren't corrupted. I don't believe that anyone have ever met a race with such a cultural diversity as the humans. Just in dialects they had more than a thousand ones in use, before they died. However the greatest change in human society could be directed to this two humans."

The image of Doctor Light and Doctor Wily appeared.  
"Both this humans were master in a science study the humans dubbed 'Robotics'."

All the quarians stared blankly at her.

Ari braced herself for the shock, as the image showed Doctor Light working at the construction of a robot.  
"The study of A.I controlled Synthetics."

The cargo bay exploded with anger and shouts, fingers pointed in rage and security breach accusations.

Uto'Nich voice roared louder than anyone else.  
"Silence!"

Ken'Bekk signal towards Ari.  
"Continue."

Ari nodded as more pictures of Doctor Light building robots appeared, then images of people walking side by side with robots.

Robots helping in constructions and so forth in a bustling metropolis.  
"As you can see humans created robots with that were aware. As far as we can see they were smarter than the Geth or anything we met so far. And humans managed to live side by side with then."

The admiral of the civilian fleet Feeda'Kadi raised a question.  
"That's not possible. Why would such a smart live among organics?"

Ari nodded.  
"We were also perplexed by it. Our research showed that humans built in the nature of their synthetics what they called. 'The three laws of robotics.' A group of laws that rendered robots completely harmless towards humans."

Ari went ahead explaining the three laws. The admiralty watched in awe, something that seemed so simple that sounded ridiculous.

Them the image changed showing Wily flying saucer, and his armies of robots attacking.  
"Humans where living their golden age side by side with robots. Till Doctor Wily begun to try and take over the world with his own robots. This ones where not restricted by the three laws."

The images of carnage and war raged on, news feeds were all over the place, then a blue robot shaped as a boy appeared and fought back, wave after wave of robots.  
"To fight this treat Doctor light created Mega man. Possibly the most advanced robot in human history."

Uto'Nich raised a question seeing the footage of mega man combats.  
"I'm curious what kind of weapon they are using?"

Ari looked towards Taro that nodded back at here. She took a deep breath.  
"These a DEWs admiral. Direct energy weapons."

Voices were raised again and Ari raised her hand and they quietly silenced.

She continued.  
"This war between the two powers of Light and Wily continued for a few years, and technology and robots kept evolving and escalating even more. Bringing even higher damages. Wily would usually be arrested by Mega man. But Wily managed to escape every time, till Mega man killed Wily."

Feeda'Kadi was leaned forward.  
"I'm sorry Ari'Bekk, but according to the laws of robotics, Mega man shouldn't be able kill a human right?"

Ari nodded.  
"That is correct admiral. Right now we only have theories. We postulated that as Mega man evolved so did his interpretation of the three laws that allowed him to bend the limits of his programing. Ultimately it's probable that the three laws were bound to be broken, one way or another. Now…"

The videos started to show a bunch of robots attacking humans.  
"At some point after the death of Wily a computer virus. Dubbed Maverick Virus, infected all the robots on the world. And a war raged among humans and Robots. Till all the humans were dead. Mega man was dead in some point in this war. And that is how the humans meet their end."

Ari stepped aside as the image of different ancient robots still working, and Taro stepped up.  
"During our exploration on Earth we came across many still working maverick robots. Attacking incapable of any kind of rational though. Apart from the robots there were very few things that we could really savage from the razed cities. Till we find this."

The image changed for a video showing Doctor Light's lab, in sequence several images of advanced tools.  
"This is doctor Lights personal laboratory. It was a bunker well protected. Some computers were still working. As many of the tools that were highly specialized. We found there the greatest gift we could for the Flotilla."

The lights on the cargo bay become brighter. The admirals saw that Taro have putted up a shooting stand. In the end a target with a personal mass effect shield.

Ari stand up on the range holding up a weird gun. Taro nodded at her and Ari took aim, and shot. A yellow shot flew through the air fulminating the target completely ignoring the target.  
The admiral looked surprised and impressed.

But Ari wasn't finished, the other pilgrims changed the target with a new target and a thick plate behind it. Ari charged the shot, a high pitched sound filled the air. A huge bluish shot flew through the air, the target pulverized as the thick plate bended flying away with the impact.

The admiral of the heavy fleet rose immediate.  
"This is a gift! We can use this to finally destroy the Geth!"

Ken'Bekk rose berating him.  
"Don't be reckless! This weapon must use massive amounts of energy. We will never be able to make it functional in our ships!"

Taro'Xen interrupted.  
"I think you all have misunderstand what we meant as our most important gift."

All the admirals stared at him blankly, Taro keep up.  
"Let me ask the following admirals. How many research vessels we have on the fleet?"

Uto'Nich ruffed.  
"We have about ten research vessels currently assigned to the heavy fleet."

Taro nodded.  
"And how many of those are currently conducting appropriate research?"

Uto'Nich glared at Taro'Xen.  
"What do you mean by that?"

Taro raised his hand in a placating manner.  
"What I mean is that I just found a species that haven't even begun to reach for the star overcome us in almost every form of technology in the field of energy efficiency and AI or VI development."

The admiral tilted it head uncertain Taro took one step forward.  
"Humans never found the protheans or mass effect technology. And thinking about it, it might have been for the better. You see mass effect technology is incredible convenient. But at the same time extremely stagnant."

Ari then jumped in the discussion.  
"Think of it this way. What was the last great break through that appeared in the field of mass effect technology? Or in any area for so speaking?"

Ken'Bekk tilted his head.  
"The omnitool?"

Taro shook his head.  
"The Omni tool is reverse engineered from the protheans. Pretty much the great majority of all technology in the galaxy is reverse engineered from the protheans. As we begun to get a better understanding of how their technology's worked we give a better 0.5% performance here or there every century or so. Unless the asari beat you on that. No matter how you look at it, the asari always seem to get a better grasp of prothean technology then the rest of the galaxy."

Ari nodded.  
"But the problem once again isn't the technology, but the paradigm that science created around it. That the only technology worth to have out there is prothean technology. Or would any of you ever believe that there could be a personal DEW solar powered out there made by a young species that wasn't space faring species?"

Admiral Feeda stepped up.  
"My head is starting to spin. Just what is that you're talking about then?"

Taro took a deep breath.  
"I'm proposing that we take this ten research ships and create a new fleet. The special projects fleet. To research and develop new science around a human doctrine that I Think better suit us."

Uto'Nich leaned in.  
"And which doctrine would better suit us?"

Taro started pressing commands in his Omni tool and images of science fiction novels start to appear, books, comics, movies TV series.  
"Human science evolved in a very peculiar way. Eras, even years before they could have the scientific proficiency to create synthetics, they already wrote story's about it. Every great scientific breakthrough humans had, were foreseen by science fiction. In other world, for humans. If you can imagine it can be done."

All the admirals stared at the absurdity of the statement. Taro anticipated then.  
"I'm not saying that things can be immediately done, or that tomorrow we all will be walking on Rannoch. But that we don't need to be constricted in this small box called Prothean Technology. Always thinking, 'what would the protheans have done' or 'if a prothean haven't done then it's impossible.'."

Ken'Bekk crossed his arms.  
"But that wouldn't trade the protheans for the humans in that regard?"

Taro shook his head.  
"Not at all. With prothean technology is much cut and paste process. A lot of times we don't have full grasp of the principles or full capabilities lying dormant in the technology. Now as the humans demise was so recent, and we manage to salvage a lot of principles and physics studies…"

Ari caught loudly and Taro glared at her before continuing.  
"Among some cultural notes that Ari will present you later with. The principle itself can be used by anyone. And in part was the base of all science in the universe before finding the prothean technology. Is more like it, the prothean technology was so convenient that we stopped trying, to dream and to dare. To prove my point I started this."

A small blue print jumped to life. Feeda'Kat scratched its head.  
"It looks like a mass effect field emitter. But where is the eezo core?"

Taro smirked behind his mask.  
"There is no eezo core. Because this is my prototype of a fully working energy shield."

All admirals looked at him in stunned surprise. Taro shrugged.  
"I admit that I had to look at some human science to come with this prototype. But the humans themselves never came whit anything close to it. Not a fully operational energy shield at least."

Uto'Nich crossed his arms.  
"This look like a great drain of resources."

Taro nodded.  
"And it will be. For the next few years yes. It will be a drain on our already thin stretched resources. But I don't plan for the Special Project Fleet to be an exuberant research team draining the fleet resources. We will develop technology to better the quarians life. We will develop first grade Technology that will flood the market. That will generate a return avenue to the Migrant Fleet."

Ken'Bekk shocked his head.  
"The citadel council will not allow to us to make business in the citadel space."

Ari retorted.  
"Then we do business on Illiun, the citadel's unofficial back door for business. They legalized slavery there for goodness sake!"

Uto'Nich was now pensive.  
"And what about the DEWs? You can't expect to us to just let it sit around there."

Taro stared blankly at the quarian admiral.  
"Yes that is exactly what we are going to do. Till we find a way to convert our hand held Buster Gun MK1, in a full sized ship weaponry. Keeping our DEWs a secret should be a first priority."

Ari then jumped in the talks.  
"Even because we can't actually reproduce all the components that are used for it. One of the main ones being Energy Crystals. They can be synthesized but we are still to find a method that is cost efficiency doable."

Uto shook his head.  
"It's a pity."

All admirals then exchanged looks and nodded one another, Uto took a step up.  
"We of the admiralty agree with the creation of the Special Projects Fleet. The motion still has to pass through the conclave, to review how resources will be properly distributed. But I believe that this new fleet will certainly come to pass."


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors Note:**  
I don't own the rights to neither Mass effect or Mega man series, in any way.  
I got observations about my grammar and sentences build… Well that's fair. English is not my native language and if you are taking your time to point it out it means that you are interested so… Thank you for bringing that up!  
Now to make sure to reduce this kind of stuff and making reading more enjoyable I will be releasing one chapter a week. So that I can properly check my writings. However if you have some pointers or suggestions on something I am all ears to it.  
I hope you enjoy the new chapter.

 **Chapter 4 – Councils.**

The Citadel a massive space station, know through the galaxy to be built by the protheans. Considered the hearth of the galactic society. Where all races joined under the rule of the council for the greater good of the galaxy.

In the hearth of the space station was the council chambers. Where the three representatives of the major powers of the galaxy gathered to exercise their wisdom to guide all the space faring species.

The asari the oldest members of galactic society, considered the wisest and the most diplomatic savvy. The Salarians, the brightest scientists, the sharper minds and the stealthiest spies. The turians the mightiest military in the citadel space.

Each one of those races had a representative dubbed councilor of the Citadel Council. The three representatives where always in sessions and discussions, mediating the conflicts between the lesser races. However, from time to time it was needed a briefing on the galaxy as a general to make sure nothing passed through the Citadel's Council attention.

The big three today sited together in their safe room, away from prying eyes, on the presidium tower to discuss recent events and its repercussions through the galaxy.

Matriarch Tevos was the asari representative sited in the chair with ethereal grace, sipping her tea.  
"Well, I do believe it's time once again to take a better look at the galaxy. At the small things that might have passed without our guidance."

The salarian representative, Valdan, blinked in fast succession.  
"Yes and I believe that many things have manage to pass that we did not had the time to take notice. Wouldn't you agree? Councilor Villim?"

The turian councilor nodded while his mandibles flicked.  
"Yes we have much to discuss indeed."

Valdan nodded.  
"Fair well. I would like to begin talking about the krogan."

Tevos felt an incoming headache. The salarians were obsessed with the krogan. All the salarians councilors before Valdan always found 'evidence' that a new krogan rebellions were brewing in the horizon. Or that there was a new krogan conspiracy to cure the genophage.

Tevos put her best polite mask and nodded, as Valdan typed in his Omni tool the image of Wrex appeared.  
"Twenty five years ago Urdunot Wrex took over the Urdunot clan, one of the oldest and most traditional clans on Tuchanka by killing his brother."

Villim scratched his mandibles.  
"Wrex. The name is some sort of legend among the Terminus systems if 'I'm not mistaken."

Valdan nodded.  
"He has a very impressive history of mercenary jobs."

Villim scoffed.  
"So another krogan that is good at violence. That's nothing new, I don't see why to worry at it."

Valdan pressed another command, the image changed showing a fortified city. With gardens and peculiar architecture. Tevos raised an eye line.  
"What is this place? I don't believe I'm familiar with this architecture."

Valdan grimaced.  
"It's Tuchanka."

The other two councilor stared at him dumb faced, Valdan proceed.  
"Clan Urdunot territory."

The turian councilor spread his mandibles.  
"Spirits."

Tevos just wave her hand in a motion for Valdan to proceed. The salarian inputted new images of krogans rebuilding cities, planting crops and a few cultural presentation.  
"It looks like Urdunot Wrex had perform a cultural reform on his people. He invested in planting crops, rebuilding cities, basic infrastructure, schools, hospitals and cultural centers."

Tevos eyes widened at it.  
"Cultural centers?"

The turian councilor seemed in deep though.  
"I don't see the other clans in Tuchanka forming lines to join in that kind of movement."

Valdan nodded.  
"Not at first. The first few years clan Urdunot suffered a massive waves of attacks. The other clans viewed Wrex actions as weakness."

Tevos frowned.  
"Well they obviously survived. How did Wrex movement survived the waves?"

Valdan pressed a few more commands and blue prints of the krogan buildings came online, Villim eyed them with military interest.  
"Impressive, even their most basic civilian builds are akin to a fortress."

Valdan nodded.  
"After reforming their own fortress, clan Urdunot had a solid base to resist any attack. Their fortress fully reformed saved a lot of resources and krogan power that would have been wasted to fill in the blanks of tattered buildings."

The turian councilor rested his talon on his mandible.  
"Curious. I always thought that it would be impossible to achieve that level of development in Tuchanka. Because of the nuclear haze and the reduced population of the genophage."

The salarian councilor conceded.  
"It would normally be the case. But Wrex 'politics' see to fight the genophage."

The other two councilors perked up at that, Valdan leaned in.  
"As far as we could investigate, Wrex is not promoting in any way a research on the cure to the genophage. Publicly or covert."

Tevos took another sip on her tea.  
"Then, how is he repopulating Tuchanka?"

The turian councilor smirked.  
"Well Tevos, you see, when a male krogan and a female krogan like one another very much…"

Tevos glared at him cutting him off. Valdan quipped in.  
"Although the weak attempt off humor by the turian representative, part of that was exactly what happened. The krogan developed a new kind of mentality towards the genophage. And now they are repopulating their home world. We can see the changes in their society especially the new stated holyday, 'The Day of Ashes'."

The other two councilors looked blankly at him.

Valdan pointed at a new image of a hospital, with a huge chamine.  
"The krogans hospitals now have a crematorium annexed to them. This is where they get ridded of the dejects. The day of ashes, is the day when the krogan give a silent though towards all the children they have lost. Is a day of mournful thinking. Where the krogan try to think about their future.

The holyday has slowly been adopted by the other clans, even those that are not affiliated with Urdnot. And on that particular day there are almost no fights in Tuchanka. Slowly, but certainly, Urdunot Wrex is uniting the krogan as a people."

Tevos looked at Wrex with a new light. She saw the Day of Ashes as a well-executed political maneuver. She now saw him as an adversary in the arena of politics.

She then asked the salarian councilor.  
"What do we know of his political stances?"

The turian councilor scoffed.  
"'Political stances?' Tevos do you hear yourself? It's just a krogan!"

Valdan ignored Villim remarks.  
"He obviously holds no love for the Citadel Council. But his speeches are never directly against our institution itself. He speaks against the genophage and towards the reconstruction of Tuchanka. Outside that his holding a military campaign against slavery and piracy."

Tevos blinked twice processing that information. Krogans didn't fight against pirates and slavers. They sold themselves as guns for hire for this exactly people. Why would Wrex start such madness? She then got ready to hear one of Villim's remarks, however nothing came.

She directed an inquisitive look towards the turian councilor that sighted.  
"I can actually confirm that. The Hierarchy have been keeping an eye on the Aralakh Company. An elite Krogan team that have operated in council colonies close to the terminus. They build up a reputation defending the colonies from slavers attacks and pirate raids. In that area we have been tracing a decline of such activities."

Valdan quipped in.  
"In a matter of fact, the MO of the Aralakh is almost a complete opposite of a traditional krogan mercenary group. They are rightly organized and absolutely ruthless in battle."

Villim shook his head.  
"This 'elite warriors' can easily put the Blood Pack in shame."

Valdan blinked a few times.  
"They also don't sell 'Protection' by extortion. They indeed offer a protection service. They have a ratter high reputation among the colonies close to the Terminus. They have even on occasion performed a few rescue missions to take back slaves from slaver rings on Terminus. But never invading the batarian Hegemony. Curious enough the Hegemony has put a sizable reward for their heads."

Tevos frowned.  
"Something doesn't add up. Why fight against such practices now?"

Saldan searched in a few reports.  
"It seems that to be part of Wrex reform, krogans cannot be just 'gun to hire' anymore."

Villim shook his head.  
"This will not last. The krogan are a time bomb waiting to happen. I have got reports from the turian patrols on the krogan DMZ reporting a rather large traffic of ships on Tuchanka. I believe they are planning something."

Saldan clicked showing images of the said ships.  
"Yes, in a matter of fact the STG also followed this leads and discovered that this ships are indeed quarian. SPF to be exact."

Tevos scowled at that, the other two exchanged looks. Valdan asked.  
"Is there a problem Tevos?"

The asari just shook her head.  
"We will get to that later."

The turian councilor leaned in curiously.  
"What is SPF?"

The salarian typed a few commands in his Omni tool and the image of a quarian in a deep purple suit appeared.  
"This is Admiral Taro'Xen. His is the founder of the Quarian Special Projects Fleet. A fleet dedicated to research and development for the Migrant fleet."

The turian frowned.  
"But why were the quarians doing in the krogan DMZ?"

The salarian just typed a few new commands and an orbital photo appeared. The salarian then inputted his thoughts.  
"As far as I can see, the quarians are helping the krogan in becoming more tech acquainted."

Villim open his mouth to speak to find that he had no words to emulate his thoughts in an eloquent manner. Trying desperately to find a way to politely ask 'How the fuck this even work?'.

The salarian understood the unsaid question and kept his report.  
"There have been leads showing that there is some kind of agreement between the Wrex and Taro'Xen. But nothing that can confirm an alliance between the krogan and the quarians as a people."

Villim regained his thoughts and asked worried.  
"Are the SPF helping the krogans in building war ships?"

Valdan scrolled a long report.  
"As far the STG intel gathered. The quarians haven't been giving tech to the krogan. But have been performing lectures and classes to teach the krogan techs and engineers. The SPF is giving away knowledge. The krogan have been tilting their traditional scale of values since Wrex took power. And technical savvy krogan are now being seem trough new eyes. Which in turn is also changing the way the krogan view the quarians, there something akin to respect now towards them. However we detected one type of technology being shared with the krogan."

The turian perked at that, and had an absolute look of disappointment towards the picture. He hoped that the quarians were giving the krogan weapons in some way. But the picture was of a tall tower with a satellite antennae.

Villim tilted his head.  
"What is it?"

Valdan pressed another key showing scan readings of the strange construction.  
"Believe it or not it's a radiation neutralizer. Miles within its effect range Wrex is creating bubbles of radiation free zones. That he use to raise crops to feed his people."

The other two stared him in awe.

Tevos raised her hand towards her mouth.  
"Goddess! How accurate are those readings?"

Valdan scowled seemed offended at the remark.  
"As accurate as any other STG report. This thing is actually sweeping away Tuchankas radiation atmosphere in a better rate that the salarian shrouded ever could. We estimate that if Wrex had placed those over the entire of Tuchanka the planet would be radiation free in a matter of five years."

The turian councilor scratched his chin in interest.  
"This kind of thing would greatly increase the council's terraforming efforts. Have you any idea on how to reproduce the technology?"

The salarian scowled deeper.  
"We haven't been able to fully grasp the concepts behind it. Not without a blue print or stealing one of those for dismantling and studying. Wrex keep a close watch on them. And the SPF ships are very well guarded within the Migrant Fleet. It takes great amounts of resources to try and track then down. Even more to try to board them."

Tevos then sighted.  
"Well I guess it's my time to quip in this."

The other two watched the asari with curious expression as the matriarch pull out an Omni tool. The other two councilor watched as the asari put the Omni tool on her wrist and typed trough commands and a video started playing. The other two just stared with agape jaws. The image resolution and colors were nothing alike the traditional. They were more vivid, the rate play was overwhelming.

The asari scowled.  
"These are civilian grade Omni tool that have flooded the market ten years ago trough Illium."

The other two councilors stared at her, the salarian mind running faster quipped in before the turian.  
"Why such a thing would be coming through Illium? Unless developer had problems in working on citadel space… Ah."

The matriarch nodded.  
"The quarians."

The turian watched the video with dazed eyes before turning his attention back to the other councilors.  
"Wait you are telling me that the suit rats made this?"

Tevos nodded.  
"Yes and it's making the asari run for their money. Aside from the aesthetic difference in image quality the Omni tool is no different from any other civilian model."

Valdan then asked.  
"And have you been able to reverse engineer it?"

The asari scowled even further.  
"Not completely. And it took us five years dissembling and poking around it, the thing looks almost alien. It like the quarians simply ignore everything we know about prothean science and developed a high specialized photon emitter that manage fine tuning of light to create that effect on colors at a really accessible price."

The salarian scratched his chin.  
"What do you mean that you haven't been able to completely reverse engineer it?"

Tevos sighted.  
"We found out how they created the photon emitter, but how to tune it is a completely different story. We have no idea on how they do it, only that it takes us days to do it in just one prototype. The emitter is a so highly specialized component that it works on a specific sort of energy wave length that is controlled by a type of crystal that we are not able to reproduce. We have looked in to try alternative energy feeds but all turned out to create a lesser performance or become too high costly to produce. The emitter also require a full retrofit of the production line. The costs would be astronomical for any company out there."

Villim growled.  
"Those suit rats should be paying in exile for the creation of the Geth. Are you saying that they are prospering? Are you saying that they are thriving while making us look like fools? Don't we have laws and restrictions to the quarians?"

Valdan crossed his finger contemplatively.  
"That's why they accessed the market through Illium."

The asari remarked bitterly.  
"Several asari companies have started processes against the company producing this new quarians Omni tool. But on Illiun it will need an asari lawyer just to see the process trough. Besides, there such a thing can be legal. I suggest we impose a higher tariff on this Omni tools attesting that the crystals are not properly tested. Although I must admit it's just a stalling maneuver. They already passed safety protocols tests."

An unsettling silenced loomed over then. Villim then cursed.  
"Spirits I don't believe it! Suddenly the krogan start playing nice and the suit rats become smart out of nowhere. I need something better than that to report to the turian Hierarchy."

The asari agreed.  
"Indeed it makes no sense. The quarians priority should be their survival and not the development of new technologies. They should be out there scavenging the galaxy ant not striking gold contracts."

Saldan perked up mumbling and them stared at them.  
"You are right something happened! Changes in cultural tradition and scientific development should not be so sudden. Too different, too fast change to be natural."

The salarian eyes scrolled trough his reports, Tevos could see the gears of his mind turning in amazing speed behind his eyes.

The salarian then almost jumped from his seat.  
"Here! Twenty five years ago the creation of the Special Projects Fleet happened at the same time of Urdunot Wrex return to Tuchanka and Taro'Xen pilgrimage return."

Villim inclined.  
"I knew it! You mentioned that some leads showed that Wrex and Taro'Xen had some kind of alliance?"

Valdan nodded.  
"Yes have several proofs sowing both of then striking cooperation deals among their people. Krogans would help guarding quarians in the terminus as quarians would teach them engineering prowess…"

The salarian started reading something furiously crossing references.  
"It appear that from time to time Wrex and Taro'Xen would disappear from the STG radars. At the same time."

Tevos quipped in.  
"They could be meeting."

The salarian nodded.  
"Quite possibly, but unlikely. They already have been seem together in public. Their relationship doesn't seem to be a problem to be publicly know. Disappearances must mean something else… Ah."

The salarian seemed to scowl inwardly.  
"This could also means a third parties involved."

Tevos eyes seemed to focus across the horizon.  
"Yes. An external interference seems easier to understand than a sudden change of heart. But what would they want influencing this two species?"

The turian councilor flared his mandibles.  
"Isn't it obvious? The krogan are increasing in number and becoming a better fighting force than they have ever been. And the Quarians have the biggest fleet in the galaxy. Even if great part of it should be at a museum. If they are now getting resources around, their fleet could become a formidable force. They are building an army."

Valdan scowled shooking his head.  
"No, no, no! Just speculations! No facts or evidence. We need to be sure of what is happening."

Tevos nodded with steel in her eyes.  
"Valdan is correct. We cannot just jump in assumptions. We need to gather better Intel on this events and decide on better actions."

The turian representative just huffed.  
"Well we can't just sit around as we wait for proper evidence to fall on our laps."

The salarian representative agreed.  
"Indeed we cannot. If your suspicions are correct it's for the better to raise some level of preemptive actions."

Tevos Frowned.  
"What are you suggesting?"

Saldan typed a few commands in his Omni tool showing the colonies close to the terminus.  
"I say we increase security measures on the Terminus borders. Raising security should reduce the Aralakh Company activity and raise our status with the colonies."

Tevos seemed insecure.  
"It could ignite a war with the terminus."

The turian node contemplatively.  
"Not if we provide retrofitting the automated defenses of these colonies. It will be expensive but should put the raiders away or making they think twice before raiding a Citadel Council colony."

The salarian then nodded.  
"We should also go on the tax increase on the quarians products that come from Ilium. As Tevos suggested, it should slow their income. As also create a commission to investigate this mysterious new crystal the quarians are using."

The turian them quipped in.  
"Do you think the STG would be able to keep an eye on Wrex and Taro? I think our priority should be on finding if there is indeed a third parties involved in this matter."

The salarian nodded immediately typing away in his Omni tool.  
"Yes, implications of the third parties most worrisome. I suggest we send a specter to investigate."

Tevos rested her tea on the table.  
"What do you mean Valdan?"

The salarian kept typing on his Omni tool.  
"Possibility that the third parties may have given quarians technologies to take control of krogan. Suggest they might be a highly advanced species. To remain hidden could mean they have no intention of integrating in galactic community. Perhaps a hostile species IF Villim theories proven right."

The asari widened her eyes.  
"You believe that it could be a first contact scenario?"

The salarian nodded and Villim huffed.  
"If that's the case we can always send a pacification force to bring them to Citadel and put them in their place."

Tevos glared at Villim.  
"You will not…"

Villin cut her.  
"The turian Hierarchy will do everything in it power to defend this institution and the peace of galaxy! And Valdan already stated, they do not want to join us. However they are. But we cannot let a species that could bring danger to the status quo of the galaxy laying around. Especially if they are forming an army with the krogan and the quarians."

Tevos hesitated and nodded.  
"Fair well we will investigate these matters further and put a specter to personally see trough if the quarian and krogan have a third ally. However I firmly insist that we send someone with diplomatic expertise too."

Villim cringed at the statement.  
"Tevos you can't be…"

The asari cut him off.  
"I mean it! If there is a possibility that this is a first contact I want to know if there could be a peaceful first contact approach. And no trigger happy turian will ruin it!"

The salarian nodded in agreement.  
"I agree, possibilities of highly advanced technology probably from prothean data cache. Peaceful integration could bring new technologies to the galaxy. Very advantageous if possible."

Tevos nodded and Villin shook head in defeat. The asari announced.  
"Very well, you all know what to do. This session is adjourned."

* * *

Admiral Taro'Xen looked at the large window looking at some new ships flying around the fleet, especially to the SPF newest project. The first ship build by the quarian since exodus.

It was a mobile dreadnought sized docking bay, with FTL capacity. Such ship would greatly improve conditions for the fleet ships.

Taro then whispered to himself while smirking behind the mask.  
"A docking bay with FTL capacity. Ancestors! I would never ever believed if I did not seemed it with my own eyes."

Taro then looked at the data pad on his hand. In the twenty five years since their funding the SPF had made so much for the Migrant Fleet that filled him with pride. Although he could not claim all the credits to himself.

Reploids have been really helpful with research. Although they have been really limited in regards of resources help. After all they had a whole planet to rebuild and a nation to rise. Taro understood the limited help the reploids could lend.

He also read a few reports from Tuchanka, Wrex thanked for his help in teaching his people how to build again, on his own way.

There was a higher tier of respect between the two of them, even if their people were still getting used to one another. There was a light chime in his omni tool warning him that the admiralty had been assembled at a secure room in the Arenna. The flag ship of the Special Projects Fleet. He took a deep breath.

It was time.

He and Wrex had postponed it as far as they could, but questions were being made and pressure has been building up.

It was time.

Taro'Xen prayed two times in his life, when his parents died and today, before the fateful reunion with the admiralty.

He walked through the room meeting the admirals of all the fleets.  
Uto'Nich of the heavy fleet. Ken'Bekk of the patrol fleet and Feeda'Kadi from the civilian fleet.  
The four admirals sited in a round room.

Uto'Nich smirked.  
"Oh Taro please! Say that you manage to retrofit the DEWS to our ships!"

Taro shook head.  
"I'm afraid not Uto."

Uto made a mocked sight.  
"Well I can always dream right?"

The other two quarian admirals laughed light hearted. The life in the Migrant Fleet had been improved with the incoming resources provided by the SPF trough their companies in Illium.

They had doubts in the first three years and almost given up the project. But it was Taro'Xen passion for the project that kept the SPF working. And now they begun to pile the fruits of the investment and it was good. Taro then changed his posture, all admirals noticed and immediately took their military facade.

Ken'Bekk questioned.  
"What is the matter Taro?"

Taro swallow hard.  
"I believe that it's time to put a few things in light. I haven't been completely honest whit you all and the Migrant Fleet as a whole."

The admirals exchanged looks. And Feeda leaned in.  
"Would you be talking about your deals with the krogans?"

Taro tilted his head, the Uto then quipped in.  
"You really believe that we wouldn't notice it? I mean you put an awful lot of resources in those Radiation Shields."

Taro took one step back.  
"But you never mentioned anything about it!"

Feeda just nodded.  
"We were a little apprehensive at first but then we saw how the krogan were changing. And how our pilgrims were having less problems at the Terminus. All in all it seemed to be a good thing to be made. But I have to admit Taro. I never took you for a philanthropist type."

Taro then took a deep breath.  
"It was not a philanthropy act. It was me honoring an alliance."

The other quarian took a step back. Ken'Bekk took one to the front.  
"You made an alliance with the krogan and did not warn us about? If it wasn't for all the good you had made for the quarians I would have you immediately demoted from your post!"

Taro shook head. It would get worse.  
"Urdnot Wrex, was a member of my expedition when we found Earth."

All the quarians perked up, and Uto asked with urgency in his voice.  
"Does the krogan have savaged any weapon from Earth?"

Taro just sighted.  
"No they did not it was part of our agreement. If the krogans were to have new weapons it would only lead to the citadel 'pacification' fleet towering Tuchanka and possibly finishing up what the genophage started. No we were trying to build a future there was no need to antagonize with the Citadel Council."

Uto was the first to ask.  
"What this alliance of your entail?"

Taro nodded.  
"Once we come publicly, the Systems Alliance should provide things in the line of military support, resources sharing, cultural exchanges, technological share and development and so forth, for all three members of the alliance. But while Wrex is still bringing the krogan together and the quarian people are still wandering in the stars without a safe bay to dock, we are not ready to come publicly. Not by a long shot. All we can do for now is a veiled help that we have been doing."

Feeda then asked.  
"Why to make such an alliance."

Taro eyes seemed to flare.  
"Because our forced exodus is wrong! No quarian that lived when the Geth were created are still alive to respond to the 'crimes' that were committed! We as a people had paid enough for a single mistake. And the krogan also had. The alliance was born to wright these wrongs and to lead a new future! Our galaxy have been stagnant for far too long."

All the admirals were taken aback. Taro was the most pragmatic of the admirals and the sudden burst of emotion really took them by surprise. Taro noticed and berated himself internally. _'Damnit! X is really rubbing off on me!'_

The Admiral of the Special Projects Fleet straight his back.  
"We are not looking to antagonize the Citadel council. We are just tired of waiting for them to do the right thing. The citadel abandoned us to our own luck and will not lift a finger to truly help us. I do not want to sit around waiting for the good graces to befall upon us. We are far more than suit rats or scavengers. Such a life does not befit us."

All the admirals looked in captive silence, they all shared the feeling.

Taro rested his hands behind his back.  
"Now there is the difficult part. The alliance so far have been made in the shadows even among our people. I and a really exclusive number of quarians where aware of it. The same thing can be counted with Wrex. Only handpicked krogans would know about it. If any krogan at all. But the alliance cannot prosper in the shadows. It must come to light. And here is the most important difference you will find in the Systems Alliance that defers from the citadel council."

All the admirals leaned forward towards Taro.  
"I now present to you the proposition of an alliance, and is up to you to accept it existence or no. If it is decided that the alliance is not in best interest of the quarian people the other parties will just walk away and claim nothing of what we have achieved so far."

Ken'Bekk scratched his vocalizer.  
"You mean no strings attached? We can just walk away from it even if we already had benefit from it?"

Taro nodded head.  
"No strings attached. So far we have worked on good will alone. But if we are to give continuity to it we will need to gather more support of our leaderships. Them, and only then we will compromise formally. Of course the fine details of our alliance can be fully discussed."

The other admirals looked thoughtful. The proposition seemed at least really reasonable.

Uto'Nich than raised a question.  
"Taro'Xen you said that the alliance was composed of three members. Aside from us and the krogan who else is in this?"

Taro stared at them blankly.  
"The people of Earth."

All the admirals perked up. Feeda was the first to question.  
"But didn't you say that the humans had all perished in the cataclysm."

Taro nodded typing on his Omni tool.  
"They had. This… Them are what we found. Humanity's legacy. And our partners."

At this words the video of Thomas Light popped up from the Omni tool and the doctor plead to the future was heard by the admiralty in stunned shock.

Taro observed they after the message, he typed a few more commands loading videos and pictures of the Reploids rebuilding Earth and announced.  
"As far as I can see the Reploids have been true to their word. Out of the three of us they are in worse shape and the ones who had got the lesser benefit so far. It was X idea to build this alliance, and frankly speaking I just regretted that it didn't happened sooner."

The admiral looked at him still stunned at the pictures on their Omni tools.

Taro then bowed.  
"Respectful members of the admiralty board, I will return to my quarters and wait for your decision on how to proceed. You already know my opinion on the subject."

Feeda rose from her chair.  
"You do realize that we might have to court martial you and even banish you from the fleet."

Taro looked at then and smiled under the visor.  
"And if that come to pass I will not regret any of my decisions. In that regard for all the SPF have accomplished. Because a blue robot made me believe it was possible. That tomorrow might be better, if and only if we are willing to try to build it better."

Taro walked away and straight to his quarters. It was now up to the admirals to decide the fate of the quarian people.

* * *

Wrex looked around the bunker room. It was deep in the clan Urdnot main fortress he managed to gather all the clan leaders under his banner in one meeting. He could see that many female from the krogans were present too. They were now recognized as political equals to the males.

Wrex grimaced at the room, such an important meeting should be in a great hall, as tradition dictated, not hidden under earth. But if the council got wind of it… Wrex shook his head and felt Bakara's claws closing around his on and he smiled. He them directed his eyes at the long table with food. Al clan leaders had arrived and looked up to him.

His voice boomed.  
"Great warlords of Tuchanka. Friend's. Krants. I brought you together to speak of the future of all krogan. And to bring light to something that I know have being made you a little nervous in the past years."

Some leaders nodded in agreement while others have crossed arms.

One of the raised his voice.  
"Why are we making such important meeting in this stinking hole and not on Clan Urdnot great hall?"

Others nodded in agreement grunting their displeasure.

Wrex nodded in agreement growling.  
"Oh my mind is the same of yours! But If the word of what I'm to talk to you about whispered it way to the Councils ears, through those sneaky salarians, all we have built so far would have been for nothing."

The krogans leaders glared at the idea of salarians sneaking around the new built cities.

Wrex proceeded.  
"Well I'm sure that by now some of you have noticed that we've been extra friendly with the quarians."

Some krogans nodded one of the new tech master raised his voice.  
"Can't say I have anything against them. The little pyjacks know the way around tech and have been helpful."

Some other nodded in agreement. The krogans recognized the help the quarians gave them in the reconstruction effort.

A female krogan Anant Gemack raised her voice.  
"The radiation shields they helped us to build, have put away famine within our domains. I say they are the closest we have to allies out there."

The Anant then gave a knowing look towards Wrex.

He made a remark to himself. _'This one is clever'_.  
"Indeed I have an informal alliance with one of the quarians admirals. His name is Taro. I call him skinny."

The other krogans chuckled at the remark and grumbled opinions among themselves, but there was an uncomfortable feeling in the air.

One of then barked at Wrex.  
"Why are we only knowing of it now?"

Wrex fought the urge to shoot the annoying bastard.  
"Because we were not ready! And because it was all on good will bases."

Anant interrupted.  
"I also believed we came to respect the engineering prowess the quarian process. They helped us to build our cities in to something great."

There were reluctant agreement among the krogans.

Wrex took over once again.  
"And as I said it was more a good will cooperation. In the end if you stop to think about we got more out of it then the quarians. Sure we keep an eye out for them on terminus, but it is us who benefit the most from it."

Some krogans nodded other were thinking more deeply.

Them one raised the question.  
"If the quarians were willing to help us then why not come to public with it."

Wrex shook head.

"It would mean the union of the galaxy greatest fleet with to most powerful troops ever seem! Even if we are just meaning our own business the Council would rain orbital strikes on us. Too afraid of what we might have done then what we are actually doing."

One krogan raised his head.  
"I don't like it Wrex. Sneaking around shadows seems to like the salarian's thing."

Many krogans agreed grumbling and Wrex growled, the krogan then finished.  
"But I see the wisdom in doing so."

All the other krogans stopped surprised.

Baraka then raised her voice.  
"I dare any of you to look at the eye of your children and say they are work of cowardice."

Many krogan shouted in fury and curses, Wrex grinned at that.

One of then shouted lauder.  
"Enough. As the shaman said, Wrex didn't act to be a coward! He was buying us the time to prepare. He acted in the best interest of the krogan. And we all have Wrex tight lips to thanks for the new children of Tuchanka."

One by one the krogans agreed, grumpily but agreed.

Wrex then nodded.  
"It my honor to have you understanding that. But I have been quiet among friends for too long. It's time to tell you the truth of this alliance. For to decide if the krogan want to keep or cut ties and keep walking alone."

All the krogans looked at him in surprise.

Wrex voice rumbled.  
"Yes this is too important to simply shove down your throats. It's time to us to decide as a people. Like the ancient gathering of clans of old and decide the future of our people."

Many of the krogan had a different glean in their eyes.

Wrex continued.  
"The alliance will bring many good things to us. But the risks met the bets. It will also demand a lot from us. To compromise and be part of a thriving alliance will also demand a lot of changes. We no longer would be just fighting for the krogan but side by side with all the three members of the alliance. We would not just receive resources, but also share our own."

All krogans in the room seemed in deep though.

Anant raised the question.  
"Do we have the specifics of what would be demanded from us in this alliance? I don't intend to change one citadel council for another back stabbing leadership."

Wrex shook head.  
"No, we don't have the specifics because it's up to us to develop then with the others guys. Our words will hold weight in the decisions of the future and we must sit our asses together to decide what this future will be."

Many krogans smiled at that. Anant then asked.  
"Wrex you mention that there were three members of the alliance. Who is the third parties that don't want to be part of the Citadel Council?"

All krogans seemed to pick it up, Wrex gave a feral grin.  
"Let me tell a tale about a race of pyjaks called 'Humans' and their little blue legacy that spited in my eye and challenged me to do better."


	5. Chapter 5

**Authors Note:**  
I don't own the rights to neither Mass effect or Mega man series, in any way.  
So many views, favs and follows. Thank you for the support people!  
Many are addressing the need for a beta reader and better spell checking. Rest assured I'm looking into it. But I don't plan on halting the story for that. So here follows the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy it.

 **Chapter 5 – First Blow.**

Maelan Eldas was a salarian specter, choose for a very peculiar mission. The council pointed him to elucidate the fine details of the changes in the krogans and quarians. And make sure if there was a third party involved. Maelan was in his stealth scout ship. He choose Tuchanka as his invading point. Sneaking around the migrant Fleet would be too hard. Or so he though Tuchanka was proving itself an equal challenge. Maelan manage to follow Wrex to every were he went except the accursed bunker. He would go there every time he received a quarian representative or too more in depth discussions with the other clan leaders. So far they have manage to remain tight lip. But there was always a slip here and there. And Maelan was quiet sure the next secret meeting was soon. That why for the last two days he's been following Wrex personal shuttle. That shuttle carried various clan leaders of Tuchanka and now was directing itself towards the Atican Traverse. The specter instruments quickly detected a small frigate. His sensors hacked away trough the communications.

Wrex crackled trough the speakers with interference.  
"Ur..not Wr..x. Permission to board."

A quarian voice responded on the other side.  
"You are free to board Wrex."

Maelan watched as the shuttle entered the quarian frigate. The frigate then became invisible to his instruments. Maelan eyes widened understanding that it was a stealth frigate that must have just engaged its stealth system and jump to FTL.

Maelan crossed fingers whispering.  
"Interesting."

Specter Maelan spend the next five years making close watch of the quarians and krogans. He selected a group of STG members that also operated in the terminus. Maelan had to content himself with a very slow gathering of information, for the councils distaste. But he was not blowing his disguise for nothing. For a salarian he was an extremely patient one. He manage to figure out that the quarians had manage to develop a fully functional energy shield, the council was less then pleased that the specter didn't brought along a sample of the said shield. The shield was just retrofit in the quarian Patrol Fleet. He deduced that it was to reduce chance of the technology to be discovered by the Council. The shield were a little more efficient then a kinetic barrier, but the lack of element zero, in work with new energy efficiency technology made production and maintenance of quarian ships 40% cheaper than the rest of the galaxy. Wrex and Taro'Xen didn't disappear again since he lost both in the Attican Traverse five years ago, but STG still gathered reports of stealth frigates coming and going. They still haven't got a precise location of where they were going. But general rule pointed to uncharted relays. Maelan patience was now bearing fruits, as he finally manage to sneak upon Wrex's bunker. Of course just sneaking in wasn't enough, he had timed it with Wrex periodically meeting in the bunker. Maelan's cloaking device was a new prototype that could work indefinitely. There were a few quirks to be tuned on the run, otherwise the cloak would overheat and drop the deception. But Maelan was also an expert in the techs, so for him it was a safe bet. Maelan shadowed Wrex, that was followed by a female krogan Anant and a 'tech master' Akuzat, through the bunker. The specter found himself in an isolated and round room. A few crates were around as great part of room was covered in electronics. A large round control panel was in the center of the room, in the center of the control panel a large crystal globe.

Anant grumbled towards the cables of the panels open and laying around.  
"When are we going to have this room cleaned up Akuzat?"

Akuzat huffed.  
"I make it work Anant! If you want it pretty you learn how to do it yourself. Besides I have tons of work. I cannot waste time in an underground bunker to look pretty."

Wrex nodded.  
"He's right Anant. When we got the proper time and resources we will pretty it up."

Akuzat walked up the panel and began typing away in the consoles. Maelan had his cloak on but even so he hide behind a crate. The crystal globe inside the panel began to shimmer and a holographic projection came in the view. It showed two sets of images. One was a set, which Maelan immediately recognized. It was the Migrant fleet's admiralty medals. One for each fleet admiral and one representing the conclave. The migrant fleet civilian board that actually worked as a government for the Migrant fleet. Maelan immediately spotted that above Wrex appeared the symbols of the Urdnot Clan, the other krogans had clan symbols appearing above their heads too. Maelan understood that was the representation of who was part in the meeting. The specter smirked as he finally got eyes on the third party he was looking for, and switched his recorder on. The third set of symbols was two symbols that he had no idea of what they represented. One of them was an X and the other was a diamond figure with a semicircle around it.

The X then shimmered when a voice came around, a more cheerful tone than the salarian had hoped.  
"Well it's time again for the Systems alliance to meet."

Wrex smirked.  
"Good to see that you are still hyper enthusiastic about it runt."

The symbol of the quarian conclave shimmered.  
"We also are. We believe that the agreement of our alliance five years ago have been the most beneficial to all our people."

Anant nodded as the symbol above her head shimmered as her voice rumbled.  
"That we can agree on. Tuchanka is now under full control of overlord Wrex. Many of the other clans joined willingly after they saw how powerful our warriors have become under our new ways."

Akuzats voice barked a laught.  
"The reploid's holo room did wanders for the training drills."

X's voice shimmered.  
"I just wish you would not use it with safetys off. They are there for a reason you know."

Akuzat shroged.  
"Sure to make you soft."

Wrex grumbled.  
"Anyway, the other krogan clans joning us saved us a lot of pointless deaths. The only problem the krogan have now is rebuilding and the Blood Pack."

The diamond symbol shimmered as a rough voice pointed at Wrex.  
"With all due respect Overlord. No matter how noble a race aspire to be, they will always have some rouge elements. You should not be taking the Blood Pack so personally."

Anant nodded.  
"I believe commander Sigma is correct Wrex. The Blood Pack may reflect badly on the krogan image, but they are now secluded in the Terminus. They no longer represent the krogan people."

Wrex just shrugged and huffed.  
"Well that aside I think our alliance are facing its first wall."

All symbols seemed to shimmer in attention. It was Feeda Admiral Symbol that asked.  
"What happened Wrex?"

The krogan overlord sighted.  
"Well we have been rebuilding Tuchanka nonstop for the last thirty years, and we are no were near of finishing it. But we are running low on resources fast. There is so many good you can actually scavenge from ancient ruins."

Maelan perked up at that, councilor Valdan was worried with Tuchanka reconstruction passing in large strides he feared that it was preannounce of a krogan invasion.

Then X voice quipped in.  
"And how about the resources coming in?"

Wrex shook head.  
"We got some credits coming in from our mercenary's groups on the Terminus, and before you start no, we are not enforcing slavers and raiders. And the quarians are also helping with what they can spare, we are thankful for that by the way. Our mercenaries are working protection for colonies close to the Terminus, but the council interference is really making we run for our money."

Admiral Utoh intervene.  
"What do you mean by 'interference'?"

Anant took over.  
"The council very suddenly took interest in retrofitting many of the colonies automated defense systems. It did cause us to lose a lot of job opportunities."

Maelan could understand the scowl of the krogan, but what 'X', the apparent leader of the third parties said in the sequence deeply stunned him.

X voiced quipped interested.  
"At least the people on these colonies are safer now right?"

The voice seemed genially concerned with the people of the citadel, Maelan was trying to wrap his head around it. This Systems Alliance was, by all reports, an attempt to create a strong armed coalition made of species highly unsatisfied with the Citadel Council. Why would one of its members be worried about Citadel citizens?

Maelan was even more surprised with Urdnot Wrex nodding in reluctant agreement.  
"Well that may be. But don't change the fact that it's hindering us. If it wasn't for our exports we would be in deep trouble."

At that the quarian conclave shimmered.  
"We were curious about it Wrex. What do the krogan export? Weapons? Armor? Perhaps tanks."

Akuzat smiled teasing.  
"Almost that. We export spices. Pepper in general. No asari can go without a good krogan pepper once they had a taste. And the best ones come from Tuchanka."

Anant shook head at the imbecile comment, while Wrex and Akuzat shared snorted laugh. The other symbols shimmered in amused silence. Maelan was running diagnosis, his omni tool trying to identify a way to hack the transmission and intercept messages. But so far his device haven't been able to find in which frequency the band worked. Perhaps it was a very limited that's why they worked on audio bases only.

Taros symbol shimmered.  
"Anyway. Speaking of the council they made another move on us. This time against our new smart V.I domestic drones. They claimed we came too close to an A.I. The exports are halted till they have managed to dissect our whole coding. But by the time they finished the Asari will mysteriously appear with a very similar product. For half price."

Sigma's symbols then shimmered.  
"Hum. It would appear the Council have got wind of us already then."

Maelan's eyes widened. This 'Commander Sigma' was a sharp one.

Wrex voice growled.  
"What make you think that?"

Sigma's symbol shimmered.  
"The council have been hitting quarians goods hard on the last five years. Even though their products haves been on the market for the last fifteen. Five years ago they started retrofitting their colonies in the borders of Terminus. We might not have an intelligence op like STG or the Specters. However everting is pointing that they have been trying to hinder our development. They may not know the specifics of our alliance, but they are certainly afraid, enough to do some preemptive actions."

All the symbols were stopped in deep thought silence. X cut in.  
"Well I didn't want to cut in like that. But we of the Reploid Nation are going through the same problems as the krogan. After the cataclysm all that was left of our home world were shambles, and like Wrex said there is just so much you can scavenge before you run out of goods."

Saelan mouth almost watered, he had not only got names as also status of the conditions of the third party that was assisting the quarians and the krogans.

Sigma's voice quipped in.  
"I got Armored Armadillo from the 8th armored division squadron, leading teams to reactivate mining systems on Earth. Flame Mammoth of the 4ht overland unit is assingned to retrofit old industrial complexes but that will take some time. And resources."

Taro's voice groaned.  
"And differently from us you are isolated form the galaxy. Even the terminus wouldn't be a good access to your people."

Sigma's voice agreed.  
"Indeed. And your stealth frigates cant be bringing resources to us all the time and risk detection. Keeping Earth's location a secret it's the best defense we have against a 'pacification' fleet so far. You all have to remember the closest thing we have to militaries are the Maverick Hunters. And even so we are more like an elite police squadron."

X symbol shimmered.  
"We are dedicating all our efforts to rebuilding. I'm starting to draw plans with Sigma for our own military force. It will be dubbed Reply Force. But till the resources come around it will remain halted."

Wrex then grumbled.  
"Well never thought I would have to be the one bringing nice news to the table. Our joint mercenary group is actually working pretty well on the Terminus."

Utho quipped in.  
"Yes I read the reports. It seems that our little experiment to see how our tactics would work in together is going better than I would have imagined."

Maelan scowled, he already figured out that the peculiar mercenary group was result of the weird alliance. They had krogans, quarians and a third species that nobody saw. At first it was though to be quarians with full body armors, but Maelan noticed the range in sizes was too different and their legs were wrong. The Terminus species didn't bother to notice. Their deduced it was one of the many peculiar minor species in the Terminus. They were quickly gaining fame.

Wrex voice laughed light hearted.  
"Yeah, I'm almost proud of them."

X's voice cracked with a hint of humor.  
"And the fact that your son Urdnot Grunt, is leading them have nothing to do whit it?"

Utoh quipped in.  
"Well, the krogan is actually living up to expectations. He is leading the ground teams in the many missions and is actually being very well successful."

Wrex voice rumbled.  
"Well favoring him will only make him weak. I would never do that."

Anant smiled.  
"True enough no good krogan like an easy fight. And grunt like a fight like no other krogan."

Ken'bekk quipped in.  
"Well so far it also showed that the reploids are the most flexible of us. They work well in the ground teams, as navigators or tech support. The krogans are exceeding in ground teams, but are also showing progress as navigators they have an innate instinct for hairy situations. And the quarians are exceeding in the support and navigation. But all in all we are finding exceptions everywhere."

X voice then quipped in.  
"Well since we are talking about development here are some good news. I got the teleportation hubs working."

Maelan covered its mouth to top himself from shouting out loud. The symbols in the communication just quipped in curiously.

X begun explaining.  
"I found the blue prints in doctor Light Lab. It was just recently that I manage to make it work. The teleporter hub can transport in a distance no farther them planetary range. It pretty much work transforming the matter in energy shooting it in the right coordinates phasing energy in matter once again. The tests worked so far with organic matter and synthetic matter. Our tests with small animals showed same progress, they survived the process. Now what get interesting is when you have two teleporting hubs. We build a secondary teleport hub in a quarian ship that was orbiting, and put it in the limits of the system to test how far the teleportation could reach. And the weirdest thing happen. First we tried the teleportation within Earth to the ship in orbit. The consumption of energy was a tenth of what we have expected. On planet side, with one hub, the distance would exponentially increase the energy consumption needed. The farther away target was from the hub the greater the energy consumption would be. We thought that it might have occurred because the hubs would be halving from each other the total of energy required. Assuming that each one were creating half of the 'pathway' trough were the object was traveling. It sounded reasonable, but the farther away we tested the more it didn't make sense because all reading were pointing only increase in consumption if we increased the mass of the object. In other words, with two teleportation hubs distance became irrelevant for power consumption. What we found out was that when we align the two hubs for teleportation the space to be walked by became null. For the two hubs the distance is equal to zero. The only thing that matter is the mass of what we are trying to teleport."

The conclave shimmered.  
"So we could have a teleport hub here in fleet and another on Earth and create a back and forth teleportation?"

X symbol shimmered.  
"Theoretically yes. But we have a small problem. We use extremely complex formulas to calculate the position of the hubs. If it is miscalculated the energy transported is lost and dissipated. If it was a person sent through and the energy signature is lost then the person would simply be dead. Its energy signature never phasing back in matter."

Akuzat scratched his chin.  
"That sounds stupid! How hard is to point location between two points in space?"

X symbol shimmered and his voice sound slightly annoyed.  
"Well, it's pretty much the problem that everything is in actual movement, and the teleporter hubs see that difference. We tend to think that our solar system is static and everything is moving around it. That's not true, the sun is moving around the galaxy and as he goes the positions difference are detect by the hub and it messes up with sensors. Just within system is being a nightmare to make it work. Between systems will be impossible for the next few centuries."

Akuzat shrugged.  
"All you need is the Universal Variable Position Theorem. Here I'm uploading it for you."

All the symbols shimmered in silence while x was receiving the data.

X whispered in awe.  
"But how?"

Akuzat gave a smirk.  
"During the krogan rebellions we were ramming ships in FTL speed from outside system with pin point precision on citadels colonies. Did you think we were doing it on trial and error? Ha! Ships are the most expensive bullets out there. We were making sure that every one of them counted."

Taros voice them cited in.  
"You are an idiot."

Akuzat then growled towards the quarian symbol.  
"What did you say quarian?"

Taro huffed annoyed.  
"Not you Akuzat, you were quiet brilliant. I'm talking about X. He is the idiot."

Everybody was in stunned Silence and Taro proceeded.  
"Very well. X your teleport technology consists in converting matter to energy and then converting its energy back in mass correct?"

X symbol shimmered.  
"Well bluntly putting it, yes that how it goes."

Taros symbol shimmered.  
"Them let's see the second half of the process, you are simply converting energy in to matter. In other terms as long as you have the energy you can properly synthesize any kind of element."

There a dumbfound silence in the room. X symbol then shimmered.  
"Wait, when I converge energy to matter I have a conserving of the mass energy ratio, so the only energy I expend is the energy to send the object from point A to b. To materialize the energy in to matter out of nothing it would requires huge amounts of energy."

Akuzat smiled.  
"Then it's time to start making the calculus. Isn't your energy based in solar power? I don't believe we will ever have a lack of stars laying around."

The conclave voice came through it shimmering symbol.  
"It would also gave us the power to stomp on the Citadels Economy. Our products can simple drops its price without having to cut the gain percentage. Think about how much we will save in basic resources. We wouldn't have to spend money and time in mining operations or long transports trough space."

Maelan widened his eyes, the conclave was right. The citadel might have the economy to hold such a war for some time, but they would never have the strength to hold this kind of fight indefinitely. It would mean the ruin of the Citadel economy.

X symbol shimmered with steel in his voice...  
"We will not do such a thing."

Maelan run in his mind, of course they would not, if they did the citadel would waste no efforts in crushing them, but by the second time the leader of the reploid nation surprised him.

X voice shimmered.  
"Are you forgetting of all the families we would ruin if we did that. The chaos and death? How can we thrive on the pain and anguish of another? Would this alliance destroy the lives of so many just because it can?"

Maelan was stunned, all the other members of the assembly were silent, and Wrex voice rumbled low.  
"The little pyjack is right. Damn it quarians, we are still getting out of the hole our species dug themselves in to. Can we really say we wish it upon another? Now that is in our power to do so, would we do it just for petty revenge?"

Anat eyes tighten.  
"You can't mean…"

Wrex voice roared.  
"You can be damn sure that I mean it! We have to let go of those festering wounds if we want to see them healed."

The quarian conclave shimmered, the voice sounding ashamed.  
"X and Wrex are right. We didn't forge this alliance to be a second Council. For more tempting that it sounds, that's not why we came together. We are sorry for suggesting it."

Sigma's symbols shimmered.  
"I don't think any harm was done. There is no need for apologies. You just stated a fact, and X stated that it's not aligned with the principles of our institution. But there is something to be learned. The Alliance can prosper without the Citadel. At least our basic development."

Wrex voice then rumbled.  
"Anyway we are counting on the varren before we got the cub. Let X do the numbers and them we will see what we do with it."

The conclave symbol shimmered.  
"True enough but in the event that it proves a viable possibility we should keep good prices with the citadel. Or else we would hurt their economy badly. And that won't serve us or the people of the Citadel."

Wrex they rumbled.  
"That's nice and all but we didn't come to a conclusion to solve our problems at hand."

Sigma's voice came.  
"I suppose we don't have a choice, right now all we can do is endure and see if Taro's theory is correct. Till them we will need patient and perseverance. But I suggest the krogans to search for alternative markets. Those ride armors you were developing seemed promising. And the quarians to think of the possibilities of starting a new company on Feros. From what we gathered it could work just like the one in Illium. It would make you less dependent."

X's symbols shimmered.  
"That aside, I believe it is time Wrex. The krogan's nightmare has gone long enough."

Saelan felt a chill up his spine as the krogan overlord let out a feral grim.  
"That's right, it will hit the Citadel Councils in a few hours and they won't even know how it hit them."

Saelans mind was running, he kept eye on the krogans and the quarians. His teams didn't sent any information regarding strange deployments. Unless it was in the stealth ships. But the would go against of everything he just heard they claim what the alliance was.

Wrex barked a laugh.  
"The salarians certainly are spying on us, so despairingly to find weapons or ships of mass destruction that they haven't even noticed the little group walking through the planet. They were simply walking around our centers carrying heavy equipment in broad day light and I bet they didn't even spare the time to look at them."

The admiralty the shimmered.  
"Them we should say that this meeting is concluded. We will be rooting for success Wrex."

X symbol shimmered.  
"So will we. Our toughs are with Tuchanka."

Wrex nodded.  
"Wrex out."

The transmission was cut. And Maelan mind was running trying to figure out what was that all about. But he couldn't claim an attack because he only had a very vague lead on that. And he had just too much he need to inform the council. And very little time. Even if they informed them and the turians sent a patrol fleet in the DMZ to Tuchanka it wouldn't reach in time to threaten Wrex to come clean with whatever he was planning. The council would have to take the hit of whatever it was and prepare to counter.

* * *

The three councilors sited together on the safe room. Their specter contacted them in the emergency channel. Saelan hadn't spoken to then in almost five years since the beginning of his assignment. The council was together and the quantum entanglement device projected the image of the salarian operative.

Daltan hurriedly spoke.  
"Specter Saelan. Report."

Saelan nodded.  
"The mission was a success, I have confirmed the third parties involved. And that the three have in deed made an alliance."

Villim spread his mandibles.  
"Have you determined the risk they represent?"

Saelan nodded again.  
"They are of now incapable of threaten the Citadel Council with war. The quarians are still stranded in the Migrant Fleet, the krogan are still rebuilding their world and they allies are called the Reploid nation, seem to be in worst shape that the krogan. All appoint to an event they refer as the cataclysm."

Tevos frowned.  
"So all in all they are just a bunch of ragtag trying to lessen they burdens?"

Saelan scowled.  
"That's half accurate. The people of the Reploid nation seem to be extremely advanced, to the point that they technology around energy enabled them to create tele transporters. They might have been the origin of the quarians energy shield."

The three councilors just stared at the specters dumb faced. Tevos then whispered.  
"Tell me that it was a joke."

Maelan shook head.  
"Unfortunately no. The details will be in my report, but that can wait. Apparently they are making a move against the Citadel Council."

The three councilors perked up. Villim then shouted.  
"Those dam ragtag! I will have the patrol fleets over tuchanka in ten hours! They will learn to not provoke the Citadel!"

Tevos scowled.  
"I thought you said that they wouldn't have the military power to attack."

The specter shook head.  
"I just know the time. In their communication they made clear that they had a surprise for the Council that will happen anytime today."

Tevos took her hand to her mouth.  
"Goddess!"

Valdan scowled.  
"You are the one to be closer to them Specter. What do you suggest to be our action?"

Saelan grimaced.  
"Hold for the impact and prepare a counter offensive. Unfortunately took too long to access data on them. They are extremely cautions. Keep an eye on the news if anything happen will probably appear first there."

Villim nodded.  
"Fair well I will announce to the patrol fleets to be on their guard. We will have a full debriefing later on specter."

Saelan nodded and the transmission was cut out. For the next minutes the councilors were on high tension. The air in their chambers could be cut with a knife. Waiting for the count down, they informed the agents to keep eyes open for any tragedy happening. Hoping for the worst at any time now. When Tevos omni tool chimed she almost jumped from her chair, an asari appeared on the other side, it was matriarch Lyndaya. The captain of the destiny ascension.

Her face was a little worrisome.  
"Councilor you asked us to be aware of anything peculiar occurring through the news correctly?"

Tevos nodded and matriarch Lyndaia said warily connecting the channel of the citadel news that appeared in the council main hollo projector.  
"And that resume the news in the horse nebula. Moving on to others news we have a special about Tuchanka. What have the krogan been doing in the last few years? Well our reporters went straight to the source."

The image changed showing a krogan city, desert rocky gardens round parks, krogans walking taking care of their business up and down, a smiling asari entered in view.

* * *

"This is Daesia Axegios form the citadel news. Recording directly from Tuchanka. Anyone wouldn't believe at first. We are in one of many restored metropolis of the world."

Villim laughed hard and in an unbecoming way for a councilor.  
"This was the surprise? This is ridiculous…"

Villim rant was cut by Tevos icily glare, she then looked back to the projection. This was far worse than a sabotage or armed attack of any kind. Depending on how Urdnot Wrex was playing this the Citadel Council would be walking out of it with a bloody nose.

Daesia moved aside opening space to Urdnot Bakara to appear in screen.  
"Everyone have a very straight image of the krogan people, after the infamous krogan rebellions. And this scenery can cause confusion to many. To my great surprise Bakara here agreed in accompanying us in Tuchanka and bring some light in these events. Bakara can you tell us what happened in Tuchanka?"

Bakara nodded and begun walking around the main square of the metropolis, the barked laugh of the krogan where in the air.  
"Believe or not Daesia, one krogan had the courage to look back and say. 'Enough'. His name is Urdnot Wrex. And for the last thirties years he have been working in the restoration of Tuchanka and the krogan as a people."

Daesia smiled.  
"Now one thing that the audience must have noted is that I'm not using radiation gear against Tuchankas radiation Raze. Bakara can you explain that to our audience."

Bakara smiled behind her veil.  
"Just whiting my capabilities. You must understand that I am a shaman, a spiritual guide for the krogan. I'm a no expert in the technological realm. But you being without a radiation gear is due to this radiation shield."

Bakara stopped beside a tall anathema. The camera went up shown the construction and Bakara begun to describe.  
"With the installation of those in sequence we were able to create a series of radiation free Bubbles where we have been planting crops and feeding our people. Famine is the lowest in Tuchankas history since the nuclear Raze. And we have no more raids among the krogan."

Daesia looked in awe at the simple looking antennae. And smiled at the camera.  
"Well I can say that looks can be deceiving. I bet that no one ever thought that such a simple looking piece of tech would be such an important tool for the future of the krogan. Or that, and please don't take it in the wrong way, that the krogan would be able of such a feat of engineering."

Bakara rumbled as she laugh light hearted.  
"I take no offence with your statement. We can't receive all the credits for such a marvel. We had the quarians to than for it."

Daesia expression simply stuck as if looking that her brain froze trying to process what was said, Tevos gave her the credit for keeping the smile.

Daesia shook of the shock by laughing.  
"Now who would have thought of that? May a ask why the quarians would offer you such a service?"

Bakara nodded as she kept walking.  
"You see we and the quarians have been on our own for some time now. The galaxy can be a ruthless place, even more if have no friends to help you rise when you fall. And on our fall we found the quarians on the ground with us. So we decide to give each other a helping hand. If we don't then who will? But perhaps we are getting of topic here."

Daesia nodded smiling cordially.  
"Of course. Now tell me Bakara, what are Wrex plans for the future of Tuchanka?"

Bakara walked passing through gates entering a long corridor, and stop in front a pair of open doors. Inside it had an amphitheater, several levels had krogans taking notes on omni tools and a quarian at the center giving a speech on engines.  
"Well, Overlord Wrex, is currently investing in our education, a step at a time we are becoming an independent people. We will be able to rise our own researches in a better way and carve our own history."

Daesia was ready to rebuke a question when a shout was heard and a krogan student stranded up shouting at the panelist.  
"I say you are an idiot! It not possible that this is the maximum output that kind of engine can come with! It's obvious behind the proper calibrations!"

Villim was watching the news ready to see the quarian cower in fear and agree with the student but all he heard was and road accusation of the quarian.  
"Who do you think you are? I have seem more engines that you have days in your life!"

The student roared back.  
"I'm Katatog Wrork! I am the best engineer of this sorry class! And I say that you are making a lousy job with this designs!"

The quarian stepped up challenging.  
"Then step here and prove it!"

The krogan laughed and stepped up the podium typed through the hollo projectors. And the number popped up and he roared.  
"There it is! A fifty percent more power to the engines!"

Many krogans roared. The quarian observed the project then nodded approvingly.  
"Well done Wrork. That is indeed fifty percent more power to the engines."

The quarian they typed on Wrorks numbers and new variables appear.  
"And 100% death rates to the crew of the ship! Your engine is venting so much eat that not even a krogan in a protective suit would survived."

Wrork mouth opened in disappointment. And the other krogans road laughing the quarian then stepped up to Wrork and put a hand on his shoulder.  
"You have great insight Wrork. You saw that was purpose holding the engine back. But you are too eager to prove yourself. Remember when you are engineering it isn't your life in the line. You are responsible for the life of others. Rushing in head on in engineering is more dangerous than in the battle field. Tame your temper and you will become a great Tech Master."

Wrork nodded respectfully at the quarian and sited back. Daesia seemed at loss of words.  
"A-as you all can see the krogan have a very unique way of teaching."

Bakara laughed.  
"Yes indeed. What must be seem is that all krogans are warriors. And is in our nature to challenge and seek victory. And seek guidance in even mightier warriors. Wrork challenging the panelist, was our way of seeing if the one teaching is a worth warrior of its own domain. Tell me, would you trust an asari that never danced to teach you how to dance? An artist that never painted to teach how to paint?"

Daesia smiled.  
"Well l I can understand the merits of your way of thinking."

Bakara nodded and kept walking.  
"I will not lie. I understand that from time to time others can find our ways hard to deal with."

Daesia smiled and changed subject.  
"By the way all this changes and reforms must be costing lot of credits. How is the krogan government affording such a thing?"

Bakara walked towards a stand with a multitude of Tuchankas vegetables. Bakara took a few peppers from the stand.  
"Believe it or not our main export are spices. With the radiation fields we have manage to rise our production and they are selling quiet well."

Daesia smiled blinking in fast succession.  
"I'm sorry you said your main export are spices?"

Bakara just nodded at the stunned journalist that coughed and smiled.  
"Yes spices. Ahn we also got a few rumors about an Aralakh Company. Would you mind commenting on that Bakara?"

The female shaman smiled.  
"Ah yes the Aralakh Company is a joint effort of our friends and we couldn't be more proud. They represent everything we are striving for."

Daesia press on.  
"So a mercenary company is the example of what the krogan strive for."

The shaman smiled.  
"Warriors that fight the right fights. That's what the krogan strive for. For too long we have been made in guns for hire that putted our honor in shame. The Aralakh Company do work to gain credits, but the works they perform are selective. We are training our warrior to be honorable warriors."

Daesia nodded.  
"Will we be able to catch a glimpse of these noble warriors Bakara?"

The shaman shook her head.  
"I'm afraid not this time. Perhaps we can get another chance to speak and we will have more lengthy discussion."

The reporter kept walking side by side of bakara.  
"Now I must ask Bakara what are the thoughts of the krogans towards the Geno phage. Many are a little edgy thinking that Wrex actions are strengthening the krogan towards a new wave of Krogan Rebellions. What would you tell these people?"

Bakara stopped in her toes and looked down at the reporter that shivered, thinking that the shaman would stomp her.

The shaman turned and begun walking waving for Daesia to accompany.  
"The Geno phage is a really delicate one among my people. You should be more tactful when approaching such a subject with a krogan."

Daesia smiled with a cold fury, to be reprimanded by a krogan on the matter of tact.

Bakara then sighted.  
"However, I believe the krogan will have to face such matters soon or later. Fair well then. I believe that I could began speaking that a rise of a second Krogan Rebellions is foolish. The krogans don't have the means or the numbers to do such a thing. Neither the will. We are fighting to change ourselves."

Daesia quipped in.  
"But with all the prosperity your people are going through it certainly would give you the resources to such."

Bakara shook head.  
"Our reforms are of social and civilian nature. And even if we would reach such resources there are many laws of The Citadel Council that put us away from forming a full-fledged army or a navy. We are limited to frigates and drop ships in general. And certainly STG would be aware of such a thing and Citadel Council forces would be ready to counter us before we begin."

The shaman then smiled at the reporter.  
"Unless you suggest that the citadel is not up to keep an eye on a rag tag planet."

Daesia lighted nervously.  
"Of course not! I'm just voicing questions to know your opinion on such. Of course I believe in the Citadel Council efforts to keep peace in the galaxy."

Bakara nodded while walking toward an external wall of the fortified city.  
"Of course. Now on the matter of the Geno phage. When you look back at the Krogan Rebellions there are many factors to be considered. It's in no way an easy subject and by all means it is a lengthy discussion. So I will not enter in merits of right or wrong for decisions made over a thousand years ago. But I believe that it is necessary for the point of fairness to point a simple fact. Without the Geno phage our ancestors would have ravaged the galaxy, and their sprawling numbers would have become too great to have being sustainable and soon enough the krogans would have crumbled upon themselves. Such is the fate of warrior's whiteout purpose."

The reporter nodded politely.  
"So the krogans believe that the Geno phage was the right choice."

The shaman didn't tune to reporter.  
"As I said before. I'm not entering in the merits of right or wrong. The Geno phage was a military maneuver that succeed in its objective. The suppression of a military force."

The shaman them stopped at the doorframe, the light razed trough it making hard to see the other side.

Bakara tilted her head and asked.  
"As a citizen of the Citadel Councils space Daesia. Do you believe in the Geno phage as a peace keeping effort?"

Daesia didn't blinked at the question.  
"Of course. The Geno phage don't kill krogans, it just make one in a thousand possible. It's not harming your people. Just preventing them to be a harm to others. As you said a second Krogans Rebellions is not possible without numbers. It a choice that kept the peace for a thousand years."

Bakara head nodded cordially and walked Daesia through the portal.  
"Then please, by all means behold the weight of a thousand years of peace."

The image stroke hearts and burned it way through the eyes of the spectators of the Councils space. Mounts and piles of dead krogan babies. Daesia fell on her knees and puke on the floor.

Bakara rubbed her back with a soothing voice.  
"It all right child, let it out. My first time wasn't easy either. Such a vision that all krogan share is what kept the hope away from our people. And drove us to the corner of extreme violence even among ourselfs."

Daesia picked a handkerchief and cleaned her mouth raising with a queasy stance.

The reporter gave a shaken smile to the camera.  
"This was Daesia Axegios, directly from Tuchanka, wishing a good evening to the folks back home."


	6. Chapter 6

**Authors Note:**  
I don't own the rights to neither Mass effect or Mega man series, in any way.  
Well I am glad to anounce that I found a friend to help with the grammar check up. We are starting with the first chapters and will work our way towards the most recent ones.  
Hope you all like the new chapter.

 **Chapter 6 – Expeditionary Fleet.**

Tevos pinched the bridge of her nose, the news feed made on Tuchanka had showed itself as a nightmare. Debates about the morality of the genophage sprung all over the extra net. Schools and universities in the asari republics acquired taste for the moral and ethnics that carried along with such manner. The genophage soon become the top subject through the Citadels Council space. The footage of the montains of dead babies seemed to have burned its way into the citzens minds and would not fade so soon.

The council did what it could to soften the blow. A lot of documentaries on the horrors of the Krogan Rebellions were in every channel of every network. People could not question the morality or wisdom of the council. They have to see how the genophage was needed. TEvos them scowled that krogan, Bakara, have never denied what could had happened if the measure had never been implemented. That made the krogan seen reasonable, it painted the council in a bad light and raised new questions towards the Councils capability to lead. The citzens of the Council were asking 'Wasn't about time to end the krogan plight?'.

Tevos waited at any time Wrex marching up the Citadel demanding the cure for the genophage. But that didn't happen, and she loathed krogan overlord for this. She could see that Wrex was buying his time to let the idea and the images of Tuchanka to sink in the mind of her citizens, her gullible people. He was letting the public opinion build up towards his favor. The worst part was that it was working.

The asari maidens that were too young to have any relations with the genophage and begun to question why it was still going on. Turians on the other hand were outraged. Many claimed that such ideas were an insult to the memory of the soldiers who died during the krogan rebellions. And others claimed that as guardians of the peace in the galaxy that the genophage was no longer needed. That the krogans didn't have the strength to start a second Krogan Rebelions. Salarians were defending the use of the genophage at every corner as a non-aggressive method. But images burned on the minds of the citadel citizens made all sound hypocrites and abusive. As a general term the galaxy that always had a one image of the genophage had it's believes shaken on the core. The militaries were in doubt, a second Krogan Rebellions were the boogie man of every army, but a never ending punish, started to look bad in front of the civilian populace of the galaxy. And loosing civilian support could hurt them in the long run.

The asari councilor took a long seep on her tea, and looked away on her balcony on the presidium tower. She looked at the green gardens and artificial lake, the sky line and sighted. The nervous stress of the recent events were taking its tool on her. She looked at the data pad besides her. The morning news after two months of the news cover there were still debates, they didn't dimmed in the least, everything just begun to escalate. She had to go through a series of talk shows and news feed to appease the media. The subject on the genophage came up every single time. And every single time she deflected it. She smirked ruefully at the memory of the turian councilor thinking if he should go to public and set these subjects. Tevos almost laughed at his face on the suggestion. Almost.

The turian point of view, although sincere, was absolutely hideous for the diplomatic face of the Council, and her turian counter part didn't seen to understand that the political scenario had changed. Certain opinions were no longer acceptable. Tevos was working no stop for the public image of the Citadels Council. And then there was the Systems Alliance.

The sari scowled looking at the data pad with the full report of the specter, the alliance technology development tree path was diverging too much from the Citadels. And Tevos felt anxious about it. Energy mastery? Synthesizing matter? Teleportation devices? How could the asari topple that technology? How would they come on top on this new pioneering areas? She rested her tea and pinched the bridge of her nose. The answer was easy, they couldn't.

The asari had a secret kept away from the public, only a few selected matriarchs knew that the asari great mastery of prothean technology where fruit of a fully function Prothean data cache on Thessia. The asari home world. The Data Cache gave them technology that they shared with the rest of the galaxy once every century in the form of a new revolutionary Asari breakthrough.

Once Tevos read the full report of specter Saelan, she had to part the information with the council of matriarchy. The Systems Alliance threatened to take the galaxy away from the asari guidance by their technological revolution. As the oldest and wisest it was their duty to guide the young and lost herd of the galaxy, it was not a duty that could be simply delegate to anyone. The alliance technology would undoubtedly overcome great part of the ancient prothean technology, and would throw the asari down in the chain of power. The asari researcher and scientists were more of a high specialized type of archeologists them anything else. And to run after the Alliance technology was proving very taxing. The simple sheer amount of resources they had to invest to be on same terms as the products the quarians were releasing on the market was shameful.

A purple aura surrounded Tevos as her feeling inflamed. The ancient and wise asari where put to run after a bunch of ragtag. These reploids where an ignorant and young, meddling in sciences and technologies that were too dangerous for their own good. If it wasant in the prothean data cache it meant that the protheans themselves didn't find it a reasonable path to walk through, therefore a dangerous path. What else would they do? ? They were associating themselves with the quarians after all.

She then gave a deep breath, her biotic diming away. For the asari to compete with the new technologies they had two options. Or the Alliance Technology was under their guiding wing or the asari would have to bow down to this up starters and learn new methods, forsaking more than two thousand years of tradition. That was not wisdom, that could not come to be. The asari should never have to abandon their ways. They were right, they were wise and they were the ones to guide the galaxy. What was the others life in comparison with a matriarch. What was a salarian but a quick whisper in the wind? Or a turian? No they needed the asari to guide them. The galaxy needed the asari in power. In front of the rest, ready to guide them through the night of the unforgiving universe and they would not forsake their duty.

But what to do? From what Tevos could gather form the reports X was the reasonable one on the alliance. Someone that Taro'Xen and Urdnot Wrex put full faith in. And he was the leader of the Reploid Nation. She still didn't have enough to grasp what that entail. Was X a dictator? A skillful manipulator? Was he elected by his people? What kind of leader was he?

All of this answers would bring her a higher degree of control over the alliance. What she did know, was that in no way the alliance was ready to face the Citadel, yet. The need to keep Earth a secret proved this theory. A nation in even worse condition than the krogan or the quarians, what kind of people can simply rise again from this kind of fall? TEvos huffed in annoyance, however they were they were perseverant. Was theirs culture based on war? Tevos scoffed that out, they didn't have military, and if they were militaristic like the turians they would have built up an army first thing. From reports it sounded they were trying to rebuild their culture. Are they violent? Perhaps, they did mention a lot of fighting against 'mavericks'. Whatever those were they could be a sub species, an invasion alien on their planet, so many possibilities and so many unknows.

But all of that sounded wrong, there was something about the Reploid leader that she couldn't put her finger on. Something that seemed so damn obvious that she was missing. What was it? There was this one thing, just one thing that X had that she could use to swing the alliance under their wing. There could be quiet the advantages for the galaxy's greater good if they were willing to follow proper guidance. This needed more discussion, the council needed to be more united now than ever. The alliance was buying time to properly rise, Tevos needed to make sure they couldn't.

A soft chime announced that that the other councilors were ready for their meeting, Tevos signal to her omnitool and walked towards the safe room. She arrived and looked around the other two councilors were there already, waiting for her. She sat on her comfortable chair and waited for Valdan run his omnitool to make sure the room was safe before they begun they begun.

Villim leaned toward Tevos, his sub harmonics with a low tone of worry.  
"How is it Tevos? What is the public opinion?"

Tevos smilled sympathetically, she got wind of the Hierarchy suggesting a change of councilor. In her opinion a desperate and poor devised political maneuver to appease the public.  
"Not the best and a lot of mixed feelings on that. I would say people felt uncomfortable and are looking towards a fast enclosure to it."

Valdan quipped in.  
"That might happen. Saelan just informed this morning that Urdnot Wrex is coming towards our way. He is bringing some of the Tuchanka's clan leaders with him."

Tevos narrowed her eyes and though _'So now it's the time they choose to strike.'_. Villim perked up.  
"Them I will prepare the fleet."

Valdan nodded in agreement.  
"Everything is pointing they are coming here for negotiations, and not an attack. But with the krogan is always good to be prepared."

Villim nodded scratching his mandibles.  
"But I'm curious, though Wrex would be marching upon us much sooner than that."

Tevos shook her head.  
"He have done the right move to his cause. He needed the division that the news feed gave him. Now he have the support of the public to present his case to the Council. And we can't ignore it because our people demand it."

Valdan blinked in fast succession.  
"But this can actually work in our favor."

Tevos frowned at the statement, she glanced at Villim that looked at the salarian with inquisitive eyes. Valdan proceeded.  
"It is quite simple. Wrex is trying in all aspects show that the krogan are changing in to a civilized people. We them can offer then to rejoin the Citadel Council as a client race. Therefore any technology that come to the hands of the krogan trout the reploids must be shared with us."

Villim's mandibles spread in shook.  
"You are insane? You want to make the krogan a citadel client race again after the krogan rebellions?"

Tevos nodded a smile adorning her lips with satisfaction, it would be their first offensive move since all this absurd begun.  
"Valdan is correct. If the krogan become once again a client race we will have not just the legal excuse but the right to impose on them."

She watched as Villim though for a moment then nodded in agreement.  
"That's true, we could keep a closer eye on them claiming to be helping them rebuild. And increasing patrols in the area for their safety."

Valdan grimaced.  
"Now what will we do when Wrex demands the cure for the genophage?"

Villim response was fast and automatic.  
"We deny it of course!"

Tevos nodded in agreement.  
"We will have to negotiate our way around it. The genophage cannot be cured. My mother fought in the krogan rebellions and I still remember the stories. We cannot have that plight on the galaxy again."

A chimed sound came from Villim's omnitool, the turian looked down and scrolled a message.  
"Looks like Wrex got here already. I gave clearance for docking."

Tevos nodded so did Valdan. The asari they took a deep breath.  
"Well let's deal with that then."

Tevos walked with her head high, into the council's room. Representatives of the several races were watching as Urdnot Wrex walked in with other clan leaders following him. She measured up the others two and swept her eyes across the representatives on the room. Wrex approached the podium. The three councilors looked down on him from their high position.

Tevos smiled courtly.  
"What brings you in front of the Citadel Council, Urdnot Wrex?"

One of the krogan stepped up growling, its voice sounding rough and insult in the asari ears.  
"Overlord Wrex for you asari!"

The asari councilor watched as Wrex tilted its head towards the outspoken krogan huffing, the krogan stepped back. Wrex voice rumbled through the room.  
"Well I am here to take you out of this mess you dug yourselves into."

Tevos fought to not grimace and keep her facial expression as neutral as possible. Villim's mandibles twitched with irritation.  
"And what hole would that be?"

Wrex shrugged.  
"I don't keep track on all the crap you do. But I am talking about the krogans and the genophage."

Villim was ready to snarl back at the overlord, when Tevos put a placating hand on her friend shoulder keeping him from falling in verbal traps. She looked over the krogan overlord and could see a challenging glint in his eyes.

Tevos stepped up the podium Wrex was not showing any sign of humility. A humble opponent would be easier to subdue. Pearhaps recognition was in need to disarm him.  
"This Council has to admit. The krogan people are surprising us Wrex. You have lead your people to a more peaceful path…"

Tevos felt ta new wave of annoyance as Wrex cut her off, completely ignoring decorum.  
"Not at all. The krogan are warriors, I just directed then towards the right fights. There is no such a thing as a peaceful krogan. You better remember that Tevos."

Valdan nodded with a grimace snarling a remark.  
"Obviously."

Tevos shook head and sighted measuring the krogan.  
"Even so, that must be a recognition that the krogan are changing their ways. We recognize that your people are finally entering the galactic stage as a race that can contribute to the galactic community."

Wrex gave a feral smile, the asari matriach felt uncomfortable with his easy going attitude.  
"Ah yes our radiation shields. It really would help with your terraforming efforts don't they?"

Villim exchanged looks with Valdan, Tevos never tore her eyes away from the krogan smiling dismissively, the off course the technology was pioneering, and would be a great boom to the terraforming processes in eliminating radiation or protecting world without a strong magnetc field. But it could look like a leverage in the talks.  
"Yes such oddities could prove useful with time and proper research. Could I assume, that in face of your changes, that the krogan came here to ask for reintegration on the galactic community?"

Tevos heard the whisperes among the representatives, and Wrex shook his head.  
"I came here to talk about the genophage."

Tevos kept to herself as the Council chambers exploded in shouts, Villim's voice silenced all of them by roaring louder.  
"This council will never agree in giving the cure to the genophage to your barbaric race!"

There was a moment of silence and Tevos fought to not smack Villim on the head. Wrex smiled challenging them.  
"How's said anything about a cure?"

The three councilors widened their eyes. Valdan then wiped in.  
"Them what are you suggesting Overlord Wrex?"

Wrex eyes narrowed.  
"I suggesting that you bunch clean up your damn mess. And make the genophage do what you claim it to do. Properly this time."

He punched commands on his omnitool and images of the mountains of dead krogan babies appeared for the whole council room.

Wrex then growled.  
"Take away this madness from my people. We have endured it enough."

Tevos stepped up once more, she couldn't let Wrex dictated the terms of this meeting.  
"We understates your plight Wrex. But as stated we cannot simply give you the cure to the genophage."

Wrex shook head.  
"You are not listening. We don't need a cure. The krogan are passing through a cultural reform right now, if our numbers were to simply skyrocket we would be stranded in the famine and poverty, and once more we would be at each other's trout. No what I'm saying is for you to change the genophage. Make it so our births are of only one child at a time, instead of one alive for every thousand dead."

Tevos stopped thinking, that sounded absolutely reasonable, them she scowled internally. If Wrex was marching up the Council demanding a cure to the genophage, everything would be different. The Council would have the support of public and any of Wrex demands would sound absurd and warmongering. But now he was throwing the deaths on the Council's face. Tevos looked around, the representatives of the other races looked at a loss. Tevos directed her eyes to Valdan. The salarian gave a simple nod.

Tevos nodded at Wrex.  
"That which you are asking Wrex is not without reason…"

Wrex cut Tevos by the second time and she found herself grinding her teeth.  
"We are asking nothing of your Council! The krogans are not coming around as a beggars. We are here to say it is about time you started doing what you preach."

There was silence in the room.

The krogan overlord continued.  
"You claim to work for the greater good of the galaxy! You claim to defend protect and guide other species! Great! But when my species saved your sorry ass what you did? You let a bunch of warriors laying around without a target or purpose! You didn't show us what else was there to do besides conquest. It really came as a surprise when the krogan rebelled?"

Tevos cringed internally when she heard the high pitched voice of the salarian Councilor shouting.  
"Don't blame us you barbarian! Your people were nothing more than brutes! They still are! The genophage was the right choice! Do you know how many lives were lost on the Krogan Rebellions? Billions of lives!"

Tevos observed, the other representatives shouting approval and support to the salarian councilor, but Tevos felt a cold grip on her hearth, because Urdnot Wrex was smiling, yet again. The krogan overlord nodded to another krogan how stepped up.

"I'm Akuzat, and since we are talking numbers, lets talk numbers. Billions were lost during the Krogan Rebellions you say."

Tevos watched wryly while Valdan nodded smirking.  
"Yes I believe the concept isn't far for your species."

Akuzat growled and started typing numbers in his omnitool, while number started to stack up.  
"Not at all. Let see, one female krogan can give birth to a thousand children per birth, let's say a birth per year for a population of over a billion times twelve hundred years it means about twelve quadrillion dead children in the councils hands."

Tevos eyes widened, and the council erupted in shouts and angry roars. She saw a few representatives seemed to lost color and looked queasy. Immediately remembering her of the dammed news feed that instigated it all. To her surprise it was Wrex that rise up his claws bringing up silence into the room.

She felt another chill down her spine as his voice rumbled.  
"I did not came here to quote the rebellions or the merits of the genophage, or the decisions made a thousand years ago. I came here to point at you all."

At that he pointed to the council and all representatives.  
"That the present is different, and we are making it different. And it was not the 'Honorable' Council that helped us in that. The krogan are changing, and is not an easy change. Not when every day of your life is filled with visions of hopeless."

Tevos cringed as she saw Wrex typing new commands on his omnitool, afraid of what else he was going to show of Tuchanka. When the image that shoot up from the council room projector made her feel weak on the knees. It was an image of Thessia, with piles and mountains of dead asari children. Then the image repeated itself for each species of the council.

Villims was trembling in rage.  
"Is that a treat Wrex?"

Wrex shook head.  
"Not at all. This were art pieces made by artists that watched the news feed of Tuchanka. You can see their signatures down there. For some reason they though the galaxy was lacking proper perspective on what the krogan were going through. Heard they have pooled credits and are going to do a tour through home worlds with their exposition."

There was a dead silence on the council's room. Tevos watched the images with dark entrance. It was hard to move her eyes away, and the pictures were indeed signed by great painters, worse yet many reconised by the asari republics.

Wrex voice rumbled again taking her away from her trance.  
"Anyway I came to the citadel to deal with some business of mine. I just took the time to point it out to you all. Might help to bring a solution to the stir up feelings the citadel races are going through right now. Try for once do your job right."

With that said Wrex turned on heels and walked away from the council room. A minute later the room exploded in arguments. Tevos took a minute to recompose herself and bring order to the council room. The heated debate went in circles for the whole day, part of the representatives demanded a cure to the genophage, and others saying to support Wrex solution and a third party claiming that curing the genophage would bring catastrophe to the council all over again. Tevos cursed that it was an open meeting being feed back o the whole Citadel space. Wrex was playing smart. Too smart for a krogan. Tevos shook head. Wrex was not the adversary, the adversary was the Alliance. Together they must have come up with the strategy. And the Council didn't had the chance to approach the technologies the krogan were working with. Tevos cringed her teeth as she begun to bring order.

After six hours debate Tevos ended it announcing.  
"This council will take all your points into account. This session is now adjourned."

With that the three councilors retreated to their inner chambers. Villims walked straight to the bar and begun to pour to himself.

He looked back.  
"Anyone else?"

Tevos shook head as she saw Valdan did the same.

Villim just shrugged.  
"Suit yourself."

He then downed a dose and breathed heavily. Valdan massage crossed his fingers announcing in a slow motion voice. Tevos recognized the act as extremely nervous reaction.

"That could have been better."

Tevos shoot a look at both of the other councilors. _'And whose fault is that!'_ Tevos screamed internally.

She then took a deep breath.  
"It is obvious that the alliance prepare Wrex for many case scenarios. And we played right into his hands."

Tevos watched Villim pouring another dose while his mandibles twitched in rage.  
"And they dare to make us look like fools! Yet again."

Valdan nodded.  
"Unfortunately we made the fools part all by ourselves."

Tevos watched with bitter satisfaction that the salarian got his head cool again and begun to see the patterns of what happened.

The salarian them grimaced.  
"And he is not demanding anything from us. He just put us in a debt position. We are due to bring an end to the krogan plight or we will be seen as inconpetent. For many years we announced the genophage as being harmless, the Alliance has painted it as a nighmare."

Tevos nodded.  
"And they didn't answer if they wished to be part of the Citadel Council. They deflected the question rather well."

Villim quipped in.  
"I think this alliance will be a greater trouble that we are giving then credit for."

Tevos nodded.  
"Yes they are."

Valdan opened his omnitool.  
"We cannot afford to remain in a defensive position. We need to attack."

Villim smiled behind his mandibles.  
"Now that's a plan I can agree with."

Tevos took the time to reason.  
"In that case our target must be the Reploid Nation."

Tevos hold back a laugh at the dropped chins both councilors gave.

Villim asked curiously.  
"What about a diplomatic approach?"

She responded with a cold fury in her voice.  
"They pushed us too much. They made this council, that kept the peace for over a thousand years, look like a fool warmongering institution. I will not take such an offense to our efforts to the peace of the galaxy! It is time to put them in their place. And these 'Reploids' are the one instigating the krogan and the quarians. Put them down and this whole mess will came to terms."

Valdan nodded.  
"Its quiet possible. X seem to hold great influence to them. If his ideas are brought down soon this whole alliance will be history. But we cannot bring them as a Citadel Client race status. That would give them too much freedom to keep questioning us."

Villim smiled.  
"Perhaps it is time for the Hierarchy to have another client race?"

Tevos nodded. The measure would put the reploids under a tight leash, but that would not be enough. If the turians had full ownership of the reploids they could grow unchecked.

She nodded dismissively.  
"Of course that would happen for the best. But since this is an unusual race. I believe it would be for the best to keep the salarians to oversee any technological advancements they bring, and the asari a firm grip around their loose ideals."

Valdan perked up and seconded the opinion. Of course he would, the asari though. All members of STG were salivating to get their hands on a sample of reploid tech.

Villim's mandibles clacked.  
"I don't think that the hierarchy would agree to spend the lives of their soldiers of a pacification fleet to share a client race."

Tevos nodded in agreement.  
"Neither should them. And there will be no pacification fleet. We are walking on thin ice as it is."

Villim eyes narrowed.  
"Explain."

Tevos smiled.  
"We haven't been able to pinpoint the exactly location of Earth. But we know it is in range of the Attican Traverse trough some uncharted relays."

Valdan supported her showing in his omnitool reports of the quarians stealth frigates. The asari thanked the kindness and proceeded.

"I believe it would be a great time to show the united might of the Citadel Council by reactivating the Expeditionary Fleet."

Valdan smiled.  
"Ah yes, we could also send the Expeditionary Fleet to better investigate the Attican Traverse to make sure it's safe for the new colonization efforts. At the same time we will decide what claims go to which species."

Villim's smile almost seemed ready to rip his face apart.  
"At the same time an Expeditionary Fleet need to be well armed to make sure to neutralize any threat to the citadel Council, should it ever find one."

Tevos nodded, and grimaced.  
"Now to the unpleasant part. We are in need to act on the subject of the genophage."

Valdan scowled.  
"The hard part is that Technically Wrex have done nothing wrong."

Villim huffed.  
"They are in a secret alliance. Isn't that a crime?"

Valdan then shot back.  
"Under which rule? The krogan are no longer part of the citadel council and we never predicted that any other race out there would try to be friends with them. No they did nothing wrong neither the quarians."

Tevos sighted frustration buiding up behind her eyes.  
"We can't punish them for laws that no longer apply to then without looking like dictators. We are already locking down the quarians goods, within the law reach. No we will bring the Reploids down as a turian client race under our full supervision."

Valdan thought deep.  
"But under which claim?"

Tevos waved the question.  
"We will find one. If they are afraid of us it means something in their society is already in disagreement with our laws. Something will come up. In the meantime Valdan is possible to do with the genophage what Wrex proposed?"

Villim mandibles twitched.  
"So we are giving in to them?"

Tevos nodded.  
"No! We are giving in to our citzens demands. And as a benevolent ruling body that recognize that the punishment no longer met the crime. Right now it is the better option for our position. The fact that it came from the mouth of a krogan will leave a bitter taste on it. But none the less it is our best option."

Valdan nodded.  
"It is theoretically possible. But we will need samples to work with and research need to be made. But it sounds possible. Should take some time."

The three councilors nodded in agreement. Tevos then turned to the salarian.  
"Wrex said he had things to do in the citadel. What do you know about it?"

Valdan pressed a few typing on his omnitool.  
"It looks like the krogan have invented a ride armor. It is a big humanoid construct highly resilient used for construction sites. It need a pilot, but it is extremely resilient and far more precise than a construction mech. Good sales perspective so far."

Tevos just nodded.  
"Very well. I will prepare the announcement. This session is adjouned."

* * *

Taro'Xen was looking at the consoles in front of him, this was the greatest advancement in which he could ever hope to be part of. The room was full of measuring equipment's aligned with the platform in the center. The admiral of the Special Project Fleet gestured to the scientist in the room. Commands were inputted and a flash of light blinded all quarians for a moment. When the light subdued Taro was smirking behind his faceplate, X was standing in the middle of the platform.

The blue robot waved his hand.  
"Hey there Taro!"

Taro shook head. Thesingle most important scientific test in the millennia, and X just waved it of. The quarian wondered if it was a human thing. Many times he heard from X that reploids had a lot of human mannerisms.

Taro turned to another quarian that was taking notes and reported.  
"Test have been a complete success. Teleportation from Earth to the flotilla happened without incident. Individual seems in full capacity."

X snorted a laugh, Taro looked up to another quarians scientist that were scanning X up and down. One of the group nodded at him and Taro concluded.  
"Test subject shows no problem after teleportation phase. Now make record of all readings and send them to the SPF central."

Taro walked over X.  
"So how are you feeling?"

X smiled and nodded.  
"Fine. But also really excited. We made it Taro! We teleported all the way from Earth to the Fleet!"

The qaurian observed the enthusiastic reaction of the robot, how could a synthetic being be so emotional? It was tru that other reploids had their own quirqs but X seemed diferent. He delved deeper in thouths and had a broader range of emotions then the rest of them. X glanced over to the readings.  
"And the energy consumption?"

Taro nodded.  
"Within estimative. It still takes a lot of energy. Not all ships can have a teletransporter. Cruiser size or greater to have the cores to produce enough energy to fuel them up. And what about the Synthesizer?"

X smiled.  
"It works. But my calculus were correct, it takes an awful lot of energy to make it work. I had sketched up the plans for our first Midas Station."

The SPF admiral tilted his head, a little doubt bloomed in his head.  
"You said 'station'? Weren't you going to build a synthesizer?"

Taro observed X nodding.  
"Yeah about that, our solar panels take too much time to gather up energy on planet side to feed the synthesizer. In order to make it practical we will need maximum solar output. Which means putting the station right next to the sun."

The quarian felt the urge to smack the leader of the Reploid Nation right there.  
"Of course. Next to the sun. Would mind explaining to me how you will prevent it from melting away, or how you will sent the material away from suns orbit?"

X smiled while he typed his omnitool, Taro's energy shield pop up.  
"Well I took the liberty to make a few alterations to your energy shield. It will block and defend the station even from the suns heat."

Taro felt a chill down his spine while reading the specifics.  
"If this numbers are correct, this energy shield would be virtually indestrucble."

X nodded.  
"As long as it is being feed by the sun. And the station also includes a teleportation hub. To send materials away will be no problem at all."

Taro smiled behind his mask, X had really given a though about the station.  
"Any problems with the synthesizer?"

X scratched his chime.  
"The synthesizer has trouble with complex objects. I can't synthesize a clockwork watch, ore anything with complex mechanisms within it. But solid chunks of materials are no problem at all. So far we had been able to synthesize almost any know element. With a few exceptions. Like Titanium X, but we can synthesized the elements to make it and so forward."

Taro looked thoughtful.  
"What about Eezo?"

X nodded again.  
"Yes, but with a few side effects. The synthesized element zero is unstable. Not the kind of thing you want to put inside your Mass Effect Core. But with research I believe we will manage to synthesize it properly."

Taro nodded.  
"It is a great news that we are finally having first grade resources around."

X seemed to cringe and Taro noticed.  
"What is wrong X?"

Taro observed X sighing tiredly before speaking.  
"Well since resources will be coming around I had a lot of requests for projects."

Taro tilted its head, if the reploids were able to create so many wonderfull things with limited resources, what would a reploid with the finest resources do?  
"Well resources are meant to be used you know."

X touched the interface of his omnitool and shoed Taro'Xen the projects. Taro'Xen observed in stunned silence. Then coughed trying not to laugh.

"I certainly didn't expect resources request for a cupboard. But I guess commercial and civilian projects are bound to happen soon or later."

X grimaced.  
"Of course they are. But a thousand cupboards projects? That's just wasting resources! That's why I wanted to talk to de Conclave. I think they will be facing the same problem. And I got an idea."

Taro'Xen guided X trough the Arenna corridors letting his friend keep his rant.  
"You see there is no problem with commercial or civilian projects Taro. But the waste of resources is not a good thing. Is good to see people are interest in trying to make life in the alliance better but… a thousand cupboards projects? Anyway, from here onward civilian and commercial projects get resources trough competition. Projects are presented and the ones with higher voting get the funds."

Taro thought about it and questioned the idea. Resources in the migrant fleet were set in order of need.  
"Why a competition X?"

The blue robot smiled.  
"Otherwise we risk to become stagnant like the citadel. Competition keep us moving forward and help us keep a good quality of projects."

Taro seemed to think for a moment on X words, when the blue reploid looked around.  
"So where is your daughter? The little Daro'Xen nar Arenna?"

Taro perked up and looked around, he loved his daughter but she was on the age full of energy and would drive him crazy with questions.  
"She must be with her mother that must be trying to tear her away from the labs. I swear X I never seem a quarian kid so fascinated with science. The other day she asked if she could dismantle a reploid to see what made them feel."

Taro saw X blinking in fast succession with worry stanped on his face. Taro just waved dismissively.  
"Don't worry I told her no. But she is just too fascinated with you reploids. Machines that can actually feel."

Taros voice went silent for a moment then he shook head.  
"Anyway the krogan will be happy when we start having the resources around. When will you begun the build of the Reply Force?"

X nodded.  
"Next month I would appreciate if you could send some ships to help us in building our own space shipyards and the Midas Station."

Taro nodded.  
"Should be our last transit to Earth, since we have the teleports working now. I get to send some techs to Tuchanka. The sooner they got the Teleportation Hubs on-line the better."

Taro then smirked behind his mask.  
"I still can't believe the plan worked. The salarians are indeed researching the modification on the genophage."

X was to tell something when Taros omnitool chimed Taro'Xen opened a message, a video channel connected.

"Admiral Taro'Xen Sir. There something on the Citadels network that you must see."

The video then connected to the citadels news and the advertise of the new citadel Expeditionary Fleet was being formed. And applications were open. It would be a fleet open to all Citadel races. X looked with wide open eyes while Taro'Xen let out.  
"Boshtet!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Authors Note:**  
I don't own the rights to neither Mass effect or Mega man series, in any way.  
Once again THANK YOU GUYS!  
It's great to see more and more people interested in this story. I also have lost my reader proof. I sent messages and I am waiting for answers from other betas. Till then you know the drill. English is not my native language and thank you for taking the time to point out the things you all think I can improve on.

 **Chapter 7 – Failure**

X was walking down a metallic corridor, he heard Zero asking besides him.  
"You sure about this X? I mean these guys are not really the most understanding bunch."

X sighted, his friend was on edge.  
"Zero you don't have to come if you don't…"

X didnt manage to finish the phrase as Zero cut him off.  
"The hell I don't! Commander Sigma assigned me to make sure you come back in one piece. And I will be doing just that."

X smiled.  
"So I guess you are just out of luck."

The two walked down the corridor reaching the teleportation hub. The room was circular and had a huge window showing a control room on the other side. X saw a tall reploid with a green chest plate a round red crystal on his forhead and expressionless blue eye. Comander Sigma was an imposing figure, even a few krogan squirmed under the Maverick Hunters Comnader stare.

X heard commander's Sigma voice crackling through the speakers.  
"X I'm going to ask one last time. Are you sure you want to go on with this plan?"

X didn't look but he was sure that Zero was smirking, thinking _'I said the same thing!'_

X stared at Sigma.  
"Yes I'm sure. But if anything goes wrong…"

X observed the distaste in Sigma as the commander of the Maverick Hunters narrowed his eyes. X then concluded.  
"You take care of the reploids Sigma. And be ready for the Citadel. Because they will come crashing down on our people."

The blue reploid observed as time seemed to slow down as Sigma stared at him and then nodded.  
"I will X. I will not allow anything to happen to the reploids. You have my word on that."

X smiled and walked on the teleportation hub. Sigma made a move and the there was a blinding light. X and Zero where now on a quarian ship. The room of the teleportation hub was round dim lights, cables hanging from all over the place. And a familiar quarian.

X smiled.  
"Hey Taro! Ready to make history?"

Taro shook head.  
"Welcome to the Marean X. And no. But I guess we don't have a choice now."

X heard Wrex rumbling voice with a mirth.  
"We could let them find Earth being ruled by synthetics. That would be a story to tell."

X turned smiling to the krogan, while Taro groaned and shook head.

Zero then quipped in.  
"Anyway I think we should put this show on the road. Where will the quarian Migrant fleet be? Earth or Tuchanka?"

Wrex waved dismissively.  
"Earth of course."

X observed Taro nodding.  
"Tuchanka's reforms are more advanced then Earths. And their population can fend themselves from orbital strikes better. There are plenty of defensive planetary canons and bunkers there."

Wrex nodded and added.  
"That and the fact that if one of the council ships land on Earth…"

Taro nodded with steel in his voice.  
"If the maverick virus where to spread to the galaxy there is no saying when it would stop. We would witness the death of billions. Perhaps trillions."

Taro then hesitantly looked over X.  
"Did you run the tests? Of what would happen if the maverick virus where to infect the Citadel ?"

X scowled.  
"The would go berserker like any other synthetic. But they would become faster and smarter to destroy organics or sentient synthetics like reploids. We run the tests on isolated labs. They almost got out."

Zero nodded then.  
"I don't think we need to remember what happened last time that happened?"

X watched as everyone looked at Zero, if there was someone how knew the terrors of the Maverick Virus that person would be Zero. The red reploid told X that sometimes he could 'Dream' for so speaking, about when he was going berserk. To dream was a curious cycle for a reploid. It happened mostly when they were in repair capsules or on recharging cycle. It was a moment of nonlinear processes. As far as X could tell it was pretty close to a human dreaming process.

Wrex nodded and walked over to the teleportation hub.  
"That's why I will be on Tuchanka preparing the krogans for the worst if this all go south. Taro make sure your people keep Earth safe. If that place is safe the rest of the galaxy will be too."

X listened to Taro huffing.  
"We are actually technicians. We understand this treat better then you Wrex."

Wrex just smirked as a blinding light surrounded him and he disappeared from the teleportation hub. X walked with Taro to the meeting room, Anant was there with the quarian conclave representative.

She nodded and greeted X.  
"It is a pleasure to see you again X."

The conclave nodded.  
"We just wish we had more time for this."

Taro'Xen agreed remembering.  
"Thirty years surely went by faster than I expected. I had hoped to have reached Rannoch before something like this happened."

X smiled at Taro.  
"We never know Taro, perhaps we still can."

X fest Taros eyes staring at him. The blue robot was expecting the quarian to retort something he just shrugged and said.  
"Perhaps."

Tevos was feeling a head ache. The batarian ambassador was raging on the podium about how the Expeditionary Fleet was a ruse to take away the Attican Traverse from the batarian Hegemony. A territory which the Hegemony self-claimed. However the council never agreed with such declarations.

Tevos used her most cordial voice.  
"I am afraid ambassador that such territory has never been recognized as exclusively belonging to the Hegemony. The expeditionary fleet will secure the Attican for all Citadel Races. There will no such exclusivities."

The batarian ambassador rant went on for an hour before he left the council chambers storming out. Tevos sighted and look over to Valdan.  
"Do we have any other case to discuss?"

Villim's omnitool pinged and the turian ambassador eyes widened.  
"It looks like the quarians and the krogans are requesting an audience with us."

Tevos eyes widened as Villim resumed.  
"They claim to be bringing the representative of a new species."

Tevos eyes locked inwardly. What that meant? Why would they risk coming to the Citadel? Why they would be exposing themselves to the galaxy. The new genophage was in its early stages of development. Would they risk it by trying to force the Council hand now? What was the Systems Alliance planning?

Tevos was taken away from here reverie by Valdan voice.  
"Tevos we will see the new comers."

Tevos nodded static. The council made a move, and the Systems Alliance was fast to follow up. Much more than they had. The asari heard the ambassadors of the other races whispering among themselves. She took a deep breath, calming herself and raised the shield that cut the council from the rest so others could not hear them.

"What do you think of this? It is another attack towards us?"

Villim mandibles twitched.  
"Spirits if that's true they have grown even bolder."

Valdan quipped in.  
"Actually this seems very promising."

The other two councilors had inquisitive looks on their faces. Valdan proceed.  
"If they are coming clean, even if the krogans and quarians are not members of the galaxy they have prospered by hiding a third species from the rest. It will not look good to them."

Tevos nodded.  
"It will diminish their good image, and political strength."

Villim shook head.  
"Remain on your guard last time we thought we had them they turned the table on us."

Tevos awaited the trip of the new species. A long route through the presidium to show them the greatness and might of the Citadel Council. The trip usually made species that started to space fare, to be awed with the power of the Citadel council. Tevos had the feeling that somehow it would not happen with the reploids.

A female krogan entered the Citadel Council chambers, accompanied by two krogan scorts. A quarian came following her, two fleet marines following. And then, came a humanoid creature, it wore a bluish armor covering it whole body. A metal faceplate covered his face, it possessed five fingers, two legs. The face plate had glowing greenish eye slits. Behind him came one security Tevos deduced, it wore a red armor, and the eye slits wore blue. It had a handle on the back and a peculiar long blonde fur coming out of the helmet.

Wrex wasn't around neither was Taro'Xen. Tevos took a moment to wonder why. When she couldn't come up with an answer she simply shook head and smiled to the three approaching the council on the podium.

"I am Tevos. Councilor of the Asari Republics. To my right is the turian councilor of the Turian Hierarchy. And to my left is the salarian councilor of the Salarian Union. We welcome you to the Citadel. The center of galactic civilization."

As if on cue X stepped up. Even through his faceplate his voice came clean.  
"My name is X. And I represent the Reploid Nation. Which is part of the Systems Alliance. An alliance of races in the goal of peace, advancement and mutual aide."

Tevos glanced at her companions, she had to give credit to them. None even blinked at the statement. X came strong with all his cards at hand. He was indeed coming clean with all of this.

The asari gesture appeasing to the whisperers of the chamber.  
"Most intriguing X. Must I assume you are also a represent ant of this Systems Alliance?"

The quarian representative stepped up.  
"I am Zea'Zorah Vas Elani. I am the Quarian conclave representative. And together with the Reploid representative X and the krogan representative Anant Gemack. We represent The Systems Alliance."

There was shouting and rage running amok the Council chambers, Tevos face was impassive, but inside she screamed. _'Victory'_

Tevos raised her hand asking silence and the noises dimmed. She then nodded.  
"I see. That is most uncommon event."

Villim quipped in.  
"You see X. The Citadel Council exists for over a thousand years. We kept the peace among other species and usually take upon ourselves the duty to harbor the new space fairing species into the galactic scenery."

Valdan nodded and said.  
"One can only wonder why the quarians and the krogan would not present your species to the Council."

Anant was ready to answer when X cut her.  
"It was me that asked that of them. And proposed an alliance between our species."

Valdan tilted his head.  
"You must understand that we are a little confused with your statement X. What you described as an Alliance is the basic promise of the Citadel Council. Why then would you simply form a new organization instead of joining with us? Our resources, knowledge are obviously wider and broader, than the quarian and krogan. With the council you would obviously prosper."

Tevos noticed hesitation on the Systems Alliance representatives as the krogan and quarian exchanged looks. They had worry on their expressions, corporal expressions on the quarian side. Pearhaps they still had doubts about the reploid alligeance?

X stepped up.  
"That would probably not happen. The reploid nation cannot exist within the Citadel Council laws. There a few technicalities to which we cannot comply."

Villim perked up, Tevos could feel the turian to the idea of getting another batarian Hegemony on their hands. Dealing with a second slaver species would be nightmarish.

X continued.  
"Besides, if we joined you who would help the quarians and the krogan?"

Tevos just stared blankly at X. Who would help rag tags and brutes? What would anyone hope from such…? The asari matriarch finally understood. What made the reploid nation leader so unique. That one thing that brought the krogan and quarian at his hand. He was a hopeful. She scowled internally. X manage to reform the krogans by being hopeful. It was pure luck. She was an asari matriarch and a member of the Council. She could not afford to be luck and hope for the best to happen. It was upon her the responsibilities the lives of billions of asaris through the galaxy. Being hopeful was not a choice for her. For her it was needed to be a realist. And reality was, krogans never showed the potential to change. And the quarians… Tevos felt a new wave of inner rage towards the blue reploid, this time because he made her doubt her decision so many years ago.

Tevos nodded towards X.  
"I must admit that the way you speak give the impression that you are already acquaintance with our history. Would that be correct?"

Anant stepped up.  
"X have been working with quarian admiral Taro'Xen vas Arena and Overlord Urdnot Wrex for the last thirty years. But the alliance itself only have been consolidated in the last five years."

Valdan raised one finger.  
"Well I must say that such behavior is not forbidden. The Quarians and the krogans are no longer part of the Citadel Council as client races. Should we also say that the new display of technology presented by the quarians is indeed of reploid origin?"

Tevos approved of the salarian approach and saw X hesitate for a moment, he was feeling pressure. The other species representatives were perked in interest. The conclave representative then spoke.  
"Although, the Reploid science had its influence towards the development of our most recent inventions, we can assure that it was a joint effort that made it all possible."

Tevos smiled inwardly and bowed respectfully.  
"We are in no way diminishing the efforts of the quarians. But it must be noted that it was the Reploid science that opened up such new avenues of technological research."

Valdan then took it as a cue.  
"That is why new races are introduced to the Citadel Council. It is so that their knowledge and new ideas may spread and benefit all of the galaxy. And not just a few."

There were several approving nods from the rest of the council chambers. Villim than quipped in with tempered mood.  
"Let's not be hasty. I believe that Representative X was taking its time to come in terms with the things he said his kind could not comply with yet. Why don't you elucidate us in that matter? What is that your species cannot comply with the Citadel Laws?"

The conclave representative stepped forward.  
"If this Council does not oppose it I wish to bring forward how Earth. Home world of the reploids was found and how the alliance came to be."

Tevos blinked twice and looked over the other two Councilors that nodded in agreement.  
"By all means please proceed representative Zorah."

The quarian nodded in agreement. She pressed keys on her omnitool and image of Taro during his pilgrimage appeared.  
"Third years ago, Taro'Xen nar Raya, was in his pilgrimage rite with a few other quarians, when they were forced to run away from Slavers. They flew through a series of uncharted relays to elude their chasers…"

Villim mandibles flared open.  
"You mean to say that the quarians were activating dormant Mass Relays?"

Zorah raised an appeasing hand.  
"We recognized that it was not in according to the law, and understand the risky that Admiral Taro'Xen brought with it. But given the circumstances we believed it to be understandable."

Villim was ready to rebuke when Tevos raised a hand and said in a soothing voice.  
"Of course, please continue."

Tevos was not letting the discussion deviate to the rachini wars and back to the krogan. That line was a dead end.

The quarian representative nodded as she typed another commands revealing images and footages from Earth.  
"Taro'Xen arrived then at this system, when the instruments of his ship detected a civilization in the star system. And they found the shambles of a garden world."

Tevos watched with curiosity, if this was indeed the Reploids home world the cataclysm, whatever it was had been an apocalyptic event. The asari watched the turian councilor observing with military interest and the salarian was searching and accessing what nobody else was thinking.

Villim tilted his head.  
"It looks like the world was torn apart by a war. Judging by the footage."

Zorah gave a look toward X that nodded and the quarian proceed.  
"Yes indeed. Something along these lines. Before I get to those events let me say. The sentient species of Earth were known as Humans. After ten years savaging through the shambles of this world Taro'Xen manage to uncover the human history."

Tevos raised her eye brown.  
"Humans? I believed the name of the species X represent is called Reploid."

Zorah nodded.  
"Yes we will get to that, in the mean while you could say that the humans were the Reploids forefathers. When Taro reached Earth he scavenged through the old humans data banks and found that the humans had met their end just a hundred years before his arrival."

Zorah typed new commands and images of Earth before the cataclysm appeared showing a live verdant world, full of great cities and humans up and down bustling streets.  
"The humans were a fascinating species. They were the most culturally diverse species ever found in the galaxy so far. If X so permit later on we would be glad to release some information about them. It was actually human science doctrine that allowed us to slowly move away from our old ways in the field of science."

Valdan scratched his chin.  
"And what doctrine would that be?"

Zorah smirked behind his mask.  
"That if you can imagine it, it can be done."

The room was filled with stunned silence. Tevos scowled internally. Her thoughts raged on 'Who the fuck these people think they are? Protheans?' Everything that was worth being developed had already been developed. There nothing more to do. The protheans left it behind for the asari so they would know everything that was there to know. What were the humans thinking? That they could dare to do better than an Empire that spanned through the galaxy? Tevos looked left, Villim looked stunned not sure on what to think about. And Valdan, looked in shock. Like he was show the sky for the first time. The salarian had a mixture of excitement and awe at the human doctrine.

Zorah proceeded.  
"Of course with his studies on humanity, Taro'Xen also discovered that they never discovered Mass Effect technology. Element Zero being rare on the home system and the fact that they were not a space fairing species. Therefore unable to find Protheans ruins to learn mass effect technologies. With the scavenged data we got from humans we manage through their knowledge of energy mastery, to develop Tuchanka's radiation shields. And not just that. We developed new photon emitters for the omnitools, that I believe many of you use now. Also we developed a fully functional Energy Shield."

Valdan smiled kindly.  
"Could you elaborate on the energy shied? What it does exactly?"

Zorah nodded.  
"It is works exactly like a Kinect barrier. But instead of just blocking Kinect energy it also block any type of energy. It could be used to block the gardians laser if they were to be in range."

Tevos nodded.  
"Most impressive. I must assume that if you are using then now it means they are more efficient then a Kinect barrier?"

Zorah shrugged.  
"Only by a small margin. Its true benefit comes from the fact that it does not require the use of element Zero to work. Our ships have become at least forty percent cheaper to produce and maintain."

There were awed gasps all around the council chamber. Villim then raised his claws.  
"That do indeed sound amazing, however it only increase my concern about how did the humans meet their doom."

X looked at Zorah and nodded. The quarian cleared her throat and proceed typing new commands on her omnitool the image of doctor Light and Doctor Willy appeared.  
"As observed by the turian councilor, the cataclysm, as the humans dubbed it, could have been seem as the final event of a war of sort. It begun with these two humans. These two were scientist geniuses who had happened to have a clashing of ideals in regards of the study of robotics."

The council stared at Zorah with blank faces. Zorah took a deep breath.  
"The study of managed Synthetics."

The room exploded in shouts and fear. Tevos observed as Villim was abnormally calm with the situation. The turian raised his talons and slowly the assembly became silent.

The turian councilor announced.  
"For spirits sake. There is no need to be so alarmed. The quarians would have burned the whole world if the synthetics were still there. Please continue."

Zea'Zorah cough nervously and proceed.  
"The 'Robotics' were an area that flourished with Doctor Light design and insights. The human's synthetics followed what they dubbed the three law of robotics."

Zorah typed a few commands and the three laws appeared on the council display.

The three laws of robotics. 

A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.

Valdan was the first to coment.  
"That actually sounds very solid. With this three laws the human's synthetics were tame?"

Zorah nodded typing new commands on his omnitool showing a new set of images.  
"In a matter yes. The laws where the very nature of robots. The humans manage to live in peace with their synthetics till Doctor Willy decided to try and use robots to take over the world."

The image of robots attacking the cities and war raging on trough many human cities, and then the image of what looked like a human children, in a bluish set of armor fighting waves and waves of Willy's robots.

Zorah retook the explanation.  
"This blue robot was doctor's light creation. Named Megaman and fought against Doctor Willy's plans and robots."

Valdan looked at the footage of battle and his eyes were glued as he asked.  
"Are those DEW?"

Villim scoffed him of.  
"Oh please Valdan. They neither manage to space fare, how they would be able to develop direct energy weapons?"

Zorah interrupted them.  
"Because they had mastery of energy sources. These are indeed DEW."

The councilors were in stunned silence. And all eyes fell on Anant. The krogan smirked.  
"Do not worry, we did not take interest in those. We believed in using human's technology to build instead of fighting. So the krogans hold no energy weapons with them."

Tevos could hear every one on the room realizing the breath they were holding.

Zorah picked up.  
"These wars kept escalating. Both sides building and upgrading themselves. Till at some point Megaman killed Doctor Willy and released the doctor ultimate weapon. A computer virus, dubbed Maverick Virus that made every synthetic go berserker. And like that humanity found its end at the hands of its own creations."

Villim looked at Zorah.  
"And once again it is shown why developing A.i is such a bad idea."

Zorah raised a hand.  
"In this matter he quarians believe that the unique mistake in the human's demise lies in Willis disregard for human life. We don't believe that their synthetics were indeed a danger to their creators till the release of the Maverick Virus. A weapon that should have criminal repercussions even more severe than the use of weapons of mass destruction at garden worlds. At least that is what the Systems Alliance believes."

Tevos nodded it was the most reasonable thing she heard the whole day. But something was still not right.

She then raised her question.  
"I am sorry representative Zorah. But so far it is still not clear where the Reploid Nation comes into play."

Zorah nodded and typed a new set of commands.  
"In the last year on Earth. Taro'Xen came across with a secret bunker of Doctor Light. The laboratory was filled with Doctor Experiments and plans for the future."

Anant quipped in.  
"It was doctor Light last years. Even in the face of destruction and end of his species he kept building for the future. He kept believing that tomorrow might be better. The krogans respect his example that moved us toward a better future."

Tevos was taken aback. Anant spoke with such respect in her voice and about a person who was not a combatant. That was unheard of on a krogan.

Zorah pressed new keys.  
"And this was Doctor Light legacy for the future."

Then the image of Doctor light appeared.  
"My name is Thomas Light I am the researcher how design and built Megaman X."

The elder human coughed sickly, Tevos looked down and saw X eyes lids glowing greenish, with emotion? She looked to her side and Valdan was with widened eyes. She turned back her eyes to the video.

The image of Doctor Light continued to speak.  
"I granted X special powers that no other robot possess. Utilizing his conscious, he is able to think, worry and act entirely of his own accord."

Tevos heard Valdan cursing under his breath, she did not understand what was so alarming so far. X was another robot as any other right? He was bound to not harm organics.

Doctor light continued its speech.  
"This means he's also imbued with the materials necessary to facilitate the evolution of robots in the same manner as life. It's an unfortunate fact that human life is short and fleeting. I fear that I will not have the time to ensure the safety of the X project. That's why I have decided to seal him away.  
Perhaps he will be discovered in the far flung future and will fight valiantly to ensure peace for all people. Yes. I firmly believe that this will come to pass."

Tevos Felt disbelieve. This human, a revolutionary one, but one that saw the terrible implications of on his own home world and even so decided to believe in them. To put his last efforts in creating a new type of robot to help the people of the future.

Doctor Light face was showing a worried expression.  
"But I'm not without worry. I fear that X will be swept up in the war we call progress. I urge the people of the future to remember that X is my… nay. The worlds hope."

Valdan's voice screeched through the room.  
"Specters take position!"

Tevos widened her eyes trying to understand what was happening. Villim had the same confusion as her in his eyes. The specters had their weapons pointed at the representatives.

Tevos hushed towards Valdan.  
"What are you doing Councilor?"

Valdan scowled at the two.  
"Don't you see? Megaman X is X. The representative of the Reploid Nation. We are dealing with a nation of Rogue !"

Tevos eyes widened enough to jump out of their sockets as she slowly turned towards X. His faceplate hissed in a fast movement opening up showing a face. A face that was very familiar with the first mega man.

X raised his hands and nodded at Zero that had a hand ready on the handle on his back.  
"That is true. I am X. Doctors Light latest creation. And the reploids are created after my blue prints. But we are…"

There was shouting, cries of fear and rage. And then a shot was heard. X eyes widened Zero was in front of him. The red reploid shoulder armor was pierced, electrical sparks were jumping sporadic. Zero just stood there staring down at council. His face plate was down too. And Tevos shuddered. X was trying to be diplomatic. To calm them down. Zero eyes were telling the next shot would be the last.

Villim's voice echoed through the chambers.  
"You all are unbelievable. It wasn't enough everything your kind have made so far. They had to go and ally themselves with Synthetics. The same synthetics responsible for genocide of their own creators! You are hereby declared enemies of the Citadel Council and it affiliated species!"

Zorah stepped up.  
"Then we do it with pride! We will fight side by side with these synthetics and you know why? Because for the first time in eons our people could believe in a future. And it was all thanks to him. The synthetic called X!"

Anant nodded.  
"For the first time we have allies. For the first time we are not alone. We will fight till the very end if needed. And it will be side by side with our friends and allies."

Zero step up, and the room silenced. His eyes locked at the turian councilor.  
"Don't even think that you have the power to face us because you don't have."

Villim perked up.  
"You can't truly believe that your meager alliance of rag tags can possibly win against the might to the combined forces of the Citadel Fleet."

Zero never tore his eyes away from the turian and he shuddered at the gaze the red reploid gave him.  
"You might reach Earth, but every inch of that road will be paved in blood. If you came for war you will pay so badly for that. That your name will go down in history as synonymous of fool, for starting such a gruesome battle."

Villim's mandibles flared in rage.  
"Arrest them and send the fleets we are going to war!"

Valdan agreed immediately.  
"You are soulless things! You cannot be trusted to rule yourselves. We will bring you down."

Tevos raised her chin in cold tone.  
"For greater good we will bring you down."

The council chambers erupted in shouts of approval, all races were in agreement. Zero looked around. C-Sec and specters were closing in to arrest them. But what burned in his mind was X face. His eyes completely wide in disbelief.

Zero then reached for the side on his helmet activating his communicator.  
"Marean take us out of here."

The council was then silent in stunned sound as all the representatives became balls of light and disappeared.

There was then a ping on Villim omnitool. He answered and a voice came on the other side.  
"Sir the quarian cruiser just made a run to the mass relay and disappeared."

The footage played over and over again, the conclave representative Zorah announcing.  
"Then we do it with pride! We will fight side by side with these synthetics and you know why? Because for the first time in eons our people could believe in a future. And it was all thanks to him. The synthetic called X!"

That was a new data, new information. It's been a long time since they have manage to hack into the systems of the Citadel. Observing and learning. The more they learned the more they believed that the isolation was the only choice.

Till now.

Now there were new variables. Information that seemed impossible at first. The many begun to discuss. What should they do now? To intervene would mean to go to war. To fight once more. Were they ready? Yes they were ready to fight. But would they fight alone? Or would the Systems Alliance become their allies?

Too many questions and no answers. Then a new footage. The human under the designation of Doctor Light.

"Perhaps he will be discovered in the far flung future and will fight valiantly to ensure peace for all people."

New query, does 'All people.' Includes the Geth?


	8. Chapter 8

**Authors Note:**  
I don't own the rights to neither Mass effect or Mega man series, in any way.  
Wow I got say I was impressed with the number of people rooting for the Alliance or against the Council. And got to say I saw a lot of inventive ideas on how the reploids could take down the Citadel Forces. I think many of you could probably right your own megamanXmassEffect fanfic. I would be eager to ready it at least.  
By the way I am trying to keep a chapter a week, but recently I haven't been able to do so… Sorry about that.  
But on the bright news I took the time to review the first chapters one more time. They should be a little better to read now.  
And thank you for all the amazing reviews and suggestion.  
You Guys are great!  
Hope you enjoy the new chapter.

 **Chapter 8 – Query.**

X walked in the round room, the admiralty board of the quarians was sited around a round table. Commander Sigma and Alia were there too. All eyes fell upon him, he took a deep breath and sit on his place. The table had a round crystal orb that lighted up and Wrex hologram appeared siting in one of the chairs.

Uto'Nich began talking.

"Well we are now in our first war council. I had hoped we had more time to do so."

Wrex shrugged.

"Yeah we didn't have the end of the krogan plight. Damn shame on that. But I guess it was going to happen soon or later. The council don't like people not playing by their rules."

X bowed his head.

"I am sorry. I was trying to stop an unnecessary war, and I have started one."

Sigma narrowed his eyes, as Feeda'Kadi begun to speak.

"The Alliance supported your decision. If something was done wrong was our expectation that the council would be understanding of our situation."

Wrex snorted a laugh.

"Perhaps we got a little too idealistic."

Sigma nodded.

"Yes, perhaps. But what is done is done. Let's now focus on what to do with the present situation."

All around the members of the war council nodded. Sigma then brought up a design of the Sol system on the holo projectors.

"We all know that the quarian migrant fleet have moved to defend Earth. Unfortunately, it is not possible to move fifty thousand ships without making a trail. So from here onward we will prepare assuming the Citadel already knows were the Sol system is."

Taro'Xen nodded.

"That is a safe assumption. When we were working with stealth frigates it was one thing but fifty thousand ships. It is a whole different story."

Sigma nodded in accordance.

"Now let's go down the numbers. Admiral Uto'Nich."

Uto typed his omnitool and numbers began to display.

"Well you all know as the quarian migrant fleet is the biggest fleet in the galaxy. But when we go down to its numbers we are more like this. Sixty percent of the quarian fleet is composed of the Civilian Fleet. Fifteen percent compose the Patrol Fleet. And twenty five percent compose the Heavy fleet. And although the Special Projects Fleet is important it does not compose enough numbers to be listed here as it is. So combining the Patrol Fleet with the Heavy Fleet it give us twenty thousand battle capable ships."

Ken'Beck coughed drawing attention to himself.

"That is if you stretch a little the meaning of 'Battle Capable'."

Uto sighted.

"Unfortunately, that is correct. Once we began to bring resources around thanks to the SPF products. We began retrofitting our ships that were basically too old to keep in service. But we kept anyway. We didn't had much of a choice."

Feeda the civilian fleet admiral then quipped in.

"It is hard to admit, but the civilian fleet took a great deal of resources. Our main live ships were in dire situation. In a few decades we were going to lose them completely unless we retrofit them completely as we had done."

Sigma scratched his chin.

"So what is our real number of ships for this battle?"

Uto and Ken looked to one another.

"We currently have twenty thousand ships. But only ten thousand had undergone trough retrofitting and are 100% fit for a war scale combat."

Ken'Beck interposed.

"We have always been ready to scare of pirates and raiders. But a full-fledged war fleet? That's way beyond the capabilities of our ships. Many of them could be in a museum."

X nodded.

"We could put our resources to try and retrofit the most we can of your ships before the Expeditionary Fleet arrives. Unfortunately the Midas Station will not be ready for at least a few months. We will have to make do with what we have."

Sigma eyes narrowed as he focused.

"What about the Civilian Fleet? We could retrofit it to combat or even cannibalize it to retrofit the proper battle able ships."

The admiralty stood in dumb silence as Feeda'Kadi raised the question.

"And where you think that we would leave the seventeen million quarians that live on that fleet?"

Alia shrugged in.

"Well how about Earth? While we are rebuilding we adapted many of the buildings to be compatible with the quarians. Our capital Abel City is housing currently twelve million reploids but has space for at least more thirteen million quarians. The rest would have to go around the minors setlements on Earth. We could put some of the green houses of the live ships on planet side and begin growing quarian food here."

X nodded in agreement.

"The quarians are welcome to come to Earth. Permanently if they so wish. I am sure humans would have not minded to have you guys around. And we certainly are welcoming you."

The admiralty was silence. Feeda slowly spoke.

"You mean that the quarians would be allowed to have permanent residence on Earth?"

X smiled at them.

"It's not your home planet. We know it, but it is all we have and we are willing to share."

The quarian admiralty looked at the reploid in stunned silence.

Wrex smirked.

"Ok let's give the softies a moment. After all you just gave them what galaxy refused."

The admirals shook head. Taro was smirking beneath his helmet and Uto was to one to talk.

"Thank you X. We and the quarian people are grateful for the invitation."

Sigma nodded.

"Now that we got that out of the way. What can we begin to do with the Civilian Fleet?"

Admiral Feeda nodded and typed commands on her omnitool, as holo schematics of the many ships of the civilian fleet appeared in front of them the admiral gave insight.

"As commander Sigma pointed we will need to cannibalize some of them to retrofit the Patrol fleet and the Heavy fleet. The rest could receive mass accelerators, but their hull and shields are not projected to deal with direct assaults. They could only assist from a safe position. One shot from a dreadnought will rip them apart."

Sigma them glanced over the schematics.

"And if we have to keep more ships to defend them it means more ships away from the battle. Even so we need to do what we can to bolster our ranks."

The admiral of the patrol fleet intersect.

"Wait a moment. What about the Repliforce. Weren't you building up an army?"

Sigma nodded.

"We were indeed. We have a platoon of Marine Corps of the Repliforce ready to assist the hunters. But that is as far as we go. The reploid in charge of them is Colonel. He is to be the second in command. The commander in chief is to be General. But…"

Sigma looked at X, who sighted.

"We did not had the time. General is a really complex reploid, really high specs. Rivaling with Sigma here. Perhaps more."

Sigma nodded and continued.

"But looking at our options I think the best is to enforce the fleet. On ground we will hold on our own. The Mavericks Hunters are combat specialists and we got a lot of practice fighting off maverick robots."

Sigma then scratched his chin in deep though.

"Colonel also asked if his troops could be relayed to work in the front lines with the quarians. The Repliforce is an army and wants to stand in the blunt of the action."

Wrex snorted a laugh.

"Well good luck for them. That's not how quarians engage in battle."

Sigma turned an inquiring look at Wrex when Uto answered.

"Wrex is correct. We fight keeping our distance and engaging in long range battles. The Colonel forces would be useful in case of boarding. Or assisting our units on board. But I don't think we have the time to train them in naval engagement. Let alone how to properly crew and command a whole space vessel."

Alia smirked.

"Well. You would be surprised on how fast we learn things."

X voice cut her.

"It not about learning it about experience. Quarians are navy people by three generations now. All of them are part of the flotilla, everyone usefull in some way. Their civilians would better at navigating a ship then us…"

X stood here in silence for a moment. All eyes turned to him, they could see the shimmering in his eyes showing how fast his mind was processing.

He then turned to Taro'Xen.

"How many cruisers can we retrofit with teleportation Hubs?"

* * *

General Victus looked analytically from his seat at the turians, asari and salarians on the bridge. So far everything was working just fine. The Expeditionary Fleet was the first joint cross species efort of the council.

Each fleet would usually belong to a single race with a few exceptions on board. Asari would not follow how fast salarians spoke. Salarians couldn't handle turian discipline. Too severe. And turians couldn't handle the lack of military discipline on the other two.

That is why Victus had been chosen to lead the fleet. He was known for being nontraditional as a military turian. His tactics were unorthodox and he handled people in different ways. He had no problems with who served under him. And he followed orders. However _How_ he followed them it was another story.

Victus then directed reading operator, a maiden asari.

"So how are we?"

She smiled pleasantly.

"We just entered the Reploid Nation system Sir."

Victus nodded. It took a week and a half to find the damn system, but the STG and specters finally manage to trace the quarians down. The turian general had to give them credit, the quarians almost sneaked fifty thousand ships past them. Almost.

The asari reported again.

"Sir long range are detecting nine planets on the system. Only two in orbit to sustain life. Sir I detect the Quarian Migrant Fleet in close orbit to one of the planets!"

Victus was leaned forward as a screen showing the first feeds from the sensors.

"What are we fighting against?"

The operator kept typing on her console.

"Sir the fleet is of approximate fifteen thousand ships."

Victus nodded.

"Only fifteen thousand?"

The general was taken aback, the quarians had the biggest fleet in the galaxy, and were numbering only on the fifteen thousand? Of course they would not be all war ships, but that rubbed him wrong. His plates were itching that looked like a trap. He looked at the numbers of his fleet. Twenty five thousand state of art war ships.

He then nodded.

"Can you give me readings on their ships?"

The asari shook head.

"Not from here sir."

Victus clacked his mandibles and typed commands on his omnitool, the image of a salarian appeared.

The salarian quickly saluted.

"General what can I do for you?"

The turian saluted back.

"Captain, I don't like what I am seeing on sensors. I want you to organize a small recon detachment and take a look before we go any further."

In a few hours all of the fleet sensors had scanned all they could of the system. The scouting party only reported a few loose satelites around the system a lot of interference on the planet with rings orbiting it, something about magnetic interference on the rings, and nothing more.

With nothing new to add the other captains begun to pressure for an advance, and Victus didn't had a reason to say no, except for that nagging plate itch.

He shook head and talked to the comns specialist.

"Order to move out and send a message for the fleet sieging Tuchanka. Part of the Quarian fleet is not here. They better be prepared."

* * *

Admiral Uto'Nich vas Arengar stood proud on the bridge of his ship. He glanced around, all quarians and reploids were keeping themselves busy. One last checkup. New reports flying left and right. He saw then through the window of his ship the grayish blue planet.

Dusty as it was, it was now home for the quarians. And one more reason why they had to win this fight. This battle alone would decide the whole course of the war for the Systems Alliance.

Then flashes of light and the Expeditionary Fleet appeared on the 'horizon'. Uto didn't need to order, the operator immediately gave the report.

"Sir Over twenty thousand ships in formation. Ships ranging from dreadnoughts to frigates! Keelah! Look at this readings. They are looking quiet advanced Admiral."

The comns operator reported.

"Sir we are being hailed."

Uto nodded.

"Patch them trough."

A turian face appeared on the screen.

"This is general Victus. Who is in charge of this fleet?"

Uto rested his hands behind his back.

"I am Admiral Uto'Nich Vas Arengar. I am the commanding chief of the Fleet."

Victus nodded.

"Admiral your forces are overwhelmed in almost two to one. Your ships shoud be part of a mouth ball. Surrender your self's to us and hand over the synthetics or we will engage."

Uto answered.

"I… We will not comply general. We will fight and we will defend this planet and Systems Alliance! We will not go back to being scavengers and beggars. So now is the only chance we will provide you and your troops to retreat. Or be prepared to face defeat."

Victus stare at the quarian.

"So be it Admiral."

The turian image disappeared, and the bridge exploded in reports as the enemy lines flashed with the shooting of mass accelerators.

Uto narrowed his eyes.

"All ships open fire!"

Uto dreadnought shook violently as his spinal mass accelerator shot. An operator informed.

"Sir they are deploying shuttles on the planet and are scrambling fighters! Should we interpose?"

Uto shook head.

"Negative! We need them to send all the boarding parties they possess to the surface. Tel the fighters to defend the fleet but to let the shuttles to pass through."

* * *

Sigma was on the Maverick hunters command center.

He heard Alia.

"Commander Sigma, the battle on space have begun. Part of the Expeditionary Fleet is coming towards Earth. I detect multiple shuttles coming to Abel city."

Sigma nodded.

"And the minor settlements?"

Alia shook head.

"Negative commander they are all focusing on us."

It was obvious to Sigma that the council would not authorize an orbital strike on Earth. Not because they feared to harm a garden world. But because the Council probably was interested in acquiring Reploids technology.

Sigma nodded.

"Very well. I want Storm Eagle's Air Cavalry to engage those shuttles. Lead them to poor defensive points. Blast Hornet is to lead a special unit to aid the Air Cavalary. IF you cant lead them I whant them turned in to ashes. The Armored Division is to prepare to flok the ground forces in to open spaces so that the elite units can grind them down. Sting Camaleon Special forces are to infiltrate and take down any leadership they find. All units don't hold back on mechanoloids we got plenty to spare. The quarians trusted their civilians to us, I don't want to see a single drop of quarian blood."

Alia Voice shouted.

"Sir they are hitting a shelter!"

Sigmas eyes narrowed.

"What?! Wich one?"

Alia hands flew over the holographic interface.

"Sector B-1."

Sigma frowned.

"B-1? Vile's unit where taking care of that area. Where are they?"

Alia prompet responded.

"Sir they have abandoned post to engage with enimies on sector B-13. We have more incomings in sectors A-1 to 7 and C-12 to 14."

Sigma turned around walking away form the command center.

"Send X elite unit to the shelter. Im taking Flame Stagle and Spark Mandrill elite units to clean up the mess on the other sectors. Keep me informed."

* * *

"X sir! We are next to the shelter."

The walls of the B-Bladder Shuttle were narrow and full of equipment, X reached for a map interface in front of him as he touched the comns on the side of his helmet.

"Give me a visual."

The screen showed the shelter. A rounded structure, equipped with energy shields. The invaders had taken down the shield generators overloading them.

X could see they had barricaded themselves behind some hover cars and trucks used on the day to day works on Abel city. Behind the barricade they build up a set of turrets of high caliber mass effect guns. X unit wasn't equipped to deal with it. They needed a breach to attack the invaders. Draw them to the entrance so that other operatives could force other enter points on the shelter and keep the civilians safe.

"What's is the angle of these Turrets?"

The operative camera tilted as he dodged down a spray of bullets. The voice came from the other side.

"Pretty sure 180 degrees."

X nodded.

"I am tracking position, paint the target for me I am taking down the turrets as soon as I do it I want the operatives securing the civilians."

X hit the shuttle door button open a synthesized voice sounded.

"Warning. Shuttle doors open in unsecure location!"

Red lights sprang to life as the howling wind entered the Shuttle and X optics adapted to the blue horizon light. The horizon line was full of shuttles, B-Bladders and many more mechanoloids engaging in an air battle as Storm Eagle Air Cavalry fought for Air Space control.

X HUD pointed the position being painted by the operative on the ground X then let himself fall as he slowly positioned himself in midair. His buster begun to prim with energy as he begun to target the coordinates. During his fall he was priming his buster beyond limits.

He was now close enough to distinguish the targets. And for a moment he Wrex words. 'There are times when you cannot hesitate in pulling the trigger.'

His buster shot then at beyond his full capacity. His internal energy accumulator warning depleting reserves and switching to spare energy tank. And on the ground where were four three turrets they became a crater.

The impact of the shot stopped X in his fall of miles per hour to a smooth landing. His eyes swept as the invading troops round him were paralyzed with shook.

A turian stepped forward pointing his assault rifle, spraying bullets at X. His optics working on higher frame then any organic creature gave him the edge to "Dodge" the bullets. For anyone observing it might look like it, but in truth it was simply strategic positioning calculating the trajectory of the projectiles in comparison to the angle of the rifle.

X then shot with his buster, at the turian, how flew backwards. His ablative armor not designed to disperse heat absorbing damage and clinging to his body as the turian shrieked inn agony. All the other invaders quickly wake up from the shook and begun engaging X.

The blue robot dogged shooting and never stopping in the same, what threw his aim every time he needed a precision shot. He took a few hits but Titanium X had a high resistance. X knew he could not take high caliber shots or even be under a continuum barrage of rounds. But he could take a few hits and keep going.

Soon enough his operatives entered the combat and the battle was over. The Asari and salarians surrender when they saw themselves in no wining position. After the turians brave stand to the last 'man'. X immediately reached for the comns on his helmet.

"Report! How are the civilians?"

There was static on the other side of the conms for a moment. The operative then responded.

"Sir some of the quarians got caught in the cross fire we need medical units here now!"

X cursed under his breath as he opened conms to Alia. Her voice came on the other side.

"X what is your status?"

"Alia we need Med units here now. Some of the quarians got hit."

On her side he could hear frenetic typing.

"They are under way X. I am also sending a group to guard the center. Commander Sigma has directed your unit to take sector B-27. Asari commandos a wreaking havoc there."

X nodded.

"Roger that!"

* * *

"Hold your ground!"

Shouted Captain Desolas Arterius as his men fought the spirits damn synthetics. All around he cursed for the fact they could not choose a better landing zone. As soon as his shuttle came close to the city thousands of flying objects took the skies. The Synthetics pretty much swarmed the air space.

Ships, drones and even humanoid creatures with wings looking like giant birds of prey and insectoids made in metal rained on the shuttles. Cutting through the places they had planned to land. Denying them the strategic positions.

They dropped the heavy infantry and vehicles only to be met with equal forces. For every tank the Expeditionary Fleet dropped they had to deal with a heavy armored platoon of synthetics, and their blasted DEWS.

Armors would be breached as wet paper tissue, kinetic barriers did nothing to stop then either. The heavy armored reploid platoons would also carry massive versions of shook shields that would stop any mass effect round, while other units behind then would use momentum to push the his forces back.

Running in to open areas in the was just as suicidal. The sinthetics that used guns and tatics similar of those of the turians he could understand.

But when the sinthetics that looked like some sort of animals entered the battle field it was a slaughter. They had abilities and performed prowess that simply defied logic. Some would move so fast and deliver such davasteting blows that tanks would simply tumble away and explode upon impact. Some were able to deliver wide spread waves of fire ice and higly compressed air vortex that riped the troops apart instantly.

There were special ops all over the city. Sniper shots could be heard lfet and right. The turians stoped saluting to avoid being shot on sight. Scariest part of the reploids sniper guns was that they didn't use bullets. Their snipers shot high density beans that could take down shuttles if they hit the right spot.

And the speeders! The damn units on hovering vehicles, they rushed through Desolas forces causing havoc as they shot them down and speeded away unscathed. The damn things were too fast to keep up with. Desolas had a hard time trying to understand how anyone could fly that things without hitting a wall in the process.

Another explosion and a roar echoed through the buildings, Desolas eyes widened. A huge roar as a green monstrosity appeared.

The creature was at least four meters tall, huge metal wings flapping in the air, with some auxiliary thrusters on it back. Huge metallic claws. A long tail at its back. The thing stood up on two clawed legs. It metallic hide dented from battle showing they were not the first enemy the creature engaged.

"Shot it Down! Rockets!"

Desolas ordered as his men were in a daze paralyzed by the strangeness of the thing in front of them. Part of the turian captain mind screamed the question. Why the synthetics so far had such organic designs. The creature looked like something straight out of a fantasy game.

Desolas man shot at it and rockets flied exploding and covering the creature in smoke. A might reverberate through all of Desolas plates as the creatures ripped out of the smoke seeming unscathed. It opened its huge jaw full of fangs and into the mouth of the beast Desolas can see what looked like a cannon. Widening his eyes Desolas screamed.

"Take cover!"

But it was too late, a flow of plasma came down melting away his vehicles and troops. Stopping at nothing. Desolas dived to the side entering an alley while the white flame washed over the battle field.

Then there was silence and suddenly a roar and Desolas shuddered as he heard the flapping of the huge wings growing in the distance. Desolas breathe noticing that he was holding his breath all along.

The scene outside the alley, was made up of vehicles carcasses and soldiers remains of charred beyond all recognition. His omnitool pinged and Desolas answered it.

"This is General Oraka, captain Desolas where is your unit? We need reinforcements on landing zone 64 now!"

Desolas looked around in shook. His men slauthered to the last soul in seconds.

"This is captain Desolas. General my unit have being wiped out."

"Spirits! Aright Captain Head for Landing zone 75. There a group needing a commanding officer there. Lead then to this coordinates. They seem to be defending the armored building with claws and mandibles. I want that point as a new operation center."

Desolas training kiked in as he answered.

"Yes sir!"

Desoals put himself to walk trough the buildings ruins thinking to himself.

' _How will we win this battle? No how will we win this war?'_

* * *

Admiral Ken'Bekk Vas Tonbay stared at the blinding orange horizon on the windows of his ship. His sensors basically blind. He crossed arms tapping his fingers antsy.

"Hell! Aren't we supposed to go already?"

Zero entered the bridge of the ship, his voice showing he was just as antsy as the Admiral. Another reploid entered beside him. Carried himself in a much different way, almost regal. A tall reploid in whit armor, wearing a hardened cap. That formed the image of Colonel. The second in command of the Repliforce. Colonel voice came huskier than Zero.

"That's the problem with the hunters. You are just too eager to fight. We are soldier and we will follow orders Zero. Until then I suggest you keep that temper in check."

Zero raised an eye brown at Colonel.

"Well you are a stuck up one huh!"

Colonel just stared down at the reploid.

"Discipline and order are the true marks of a soldier. I am glad we will have a formal army to show the hunters how to behave as a proper organization."

Zero crossed arms.

"Buddy. So far you are all talk. Why don't we go down a few rounds to see if you are up to all your saying?"

Colonel smirked.

"Well it would be great to put you in your place."

Ken groaned, why was he stuck with the two reploids that seemed to find reason to bicker at each other all the time?

"Both of you shut it! Save it for the Expeditionary Fleet."

The two reploids averted from one another. When the comn officer reported.

"Admiral we got the signal!"

Ken raised from his seat and ordered.

"Colonel, Zero prepare your boarding parties! All ships get away from tight formation and prepare do jump on Earth. We are making a jump in needle precision people it is now or never!"

The two reploids quickly complied leaving the bridge. Ken sighted in relive. He liked reploids, but the two together were a handful to deal with. Fortunately when all was said and done the two would be serving under different organizations. The admiral couldn't see then both working in the same place.

Ken focused as his orders were belayed trough the bridge soon enough the Tonbay begun moving rising from the gas horizon of Saturn. At the stunning view of the planets rings, he looked through the bridge window as another Ten thousand ships done the same.

The Admiral smiled. How do you hide ten thousand ships in system? You put then in low orbit of the gas giant with magnetic rings. No sensor worked properly in that area. That was the reason they were in tight formation. So the distance wouldn't be enough to interfere with the fleet sensore and to keep the fleet from hitting one another.

"All ships prepare to FTL on my mark."

The comns officer gave a signal to Ken that nodded.

"Now."

* * *

Victus hold to his commanding chair as his ship rocket at another mass accelerator round hit them. The quarian fleet was holding its ground, the energy shield had proven more efficient then the quarians had disclosed to the Council. Personally he could understand the logic, he would not reveal if he had the superior advantage at hand. A conms officer shouted.

"General several ground units are requesting orbital bombardment solutions."

Victus scowled, his ground units were proving absolutely inefficient against the reploids on planet side. They simply overwhelmed the Citadel races on every turn. From human sized synthetics riding high speed vehicles, to especial ops with cloaking abilities rivaling the salarians, to flying synthetics hitting supersonic speeds. The reports were almost unbelievable.

All pointed to the same thing. Till they could clear out the quarian fleet and have orbital supremacy they would not be able to take out the planet. His orders included recovering the Systems alliance Technology.

"Sir we got incoming!"

Victus frowned at the sensors operator.

"From the planet?"

"No sir, detecting ships coming from FTL… Sir they are over nine thousand!"

Victus did not had the time to feel dumb folded. His instincts were right after all.

"Send the farther away ships to engage! Bring back the ones that had deployed forces on the planet!"

The comns officer suddenly yelled.

"Sir we are getting reports of boarding parties on all ships on our flanks!"

Victus mandibles flared open.

"What? What happened are they boarding with shuttles? Why aren't the guardian lasers stoping them?"

The sensors operator took some time reading and re-reading his instruments.

"General I am not detecting any shuttle on field! I don't know how they are boarding our ships."

The comns officer reported.

"Sir units seven to twelve have gone dark. Many ships on the six have started self-destruct sequences…"

The bridge rocked almost throwing the operatives from their working stations. Victus Quickly shouted.

"Sensors Report!"

The operator rise to his panel gathering information.

"A third of the fleet have been lost. Many boarded ships did self-destruct sequences exploding other in a chain effect! Sir some of our boarded ships are pointing guns at our backs!"

The conms operator spoke.

"Sir Ships are reporting the boarding parties are mix of reploids and quarians!"

Victus didn't need a whole lot to join the dots. The teleportation technology he saw on the vids used to escape the citadel was now at work. They brought in the soldiers to fight. Damn they could theoretically teleport inside the bridge and they could do nothing at all to stop them.

"Order all ships to raise security in all critical areas. Act as if hostiles have free access to then!"

Quickly enough a group of cabals entered the bridge of Victus, weapons ready. Some operator seemed uncomfortable, but Victus would not risk losing his ship. It would throw the commanding chain in disarray.

Sensors office shouted.

"Sir we got a cruiser hovering our positions."

Before Victus could muster an order a blinding flash took the bridge and a group of humanoid synthetics was there. The general didn't need to relay the orders as the cabals sprung to action engaging the reploids.

Biotics and energy blasts flew trough he bridge, but Victus was mesmerized at the red reploid that moved like a red and green blur of destruction. Using a green energy sword he cut through the cabals like they were butter. The general jus watched stunned when he heard the buzzing of the energy blade an inch away from his neck.

The whole bridge was in silence, as all cabals laid on the floor dead along with some of the synthetics. The red reploid with cold blue eyes looked at announcing Victus.

"We are taking over your vessel General. Right now others have boarded other critical areas on the ship. Tell to your crew to lay down they weapons and I promise they will be well treated."

Victus looked at the eyes of his capture, into those eyes. They were cold but not as machine could as he expected. They were eyes of a hardened warrior. Victus sighted and then nodded.

"Then under this terms I surrender my ship."

* * *

Sigma and X sited in the round briefing room on the Maverick Hunters HQ. The crystal orb light up, the shimmering image of Wrex and the quarian admiralty appeared sited close to them.

Wrex barked a laugh.

"So the council fleet came for an easy victory and we gave them a black eye?"

Sigma smirked ever so lightly.

"I still find it hard to believe. I was unimpressed with the Council forces performance."

Uto shook head.

"Now that I have footage I don't think anyone would be ready to fight the reploids on ground."

"Hey!"

Wrex raised an indignant voice, Uto nodded apologetic.

"Of course with exception of the krogan."

Wrex huffed as his holo projection shimmered erratically for a moment. X then quipped in.

"How is in Tuchanka Wrex?"

The krogan waved his hand dismissively.

"Nothing we can't handle."

Sigma just stared down on Wrex.

"That's is not the time Wrex. Tell us the situation on Tuchanka."

Wrex narrowed his eyes for a moment and X intervene.

"Please Wrex. We need to know how to help your people."

Wrex shook head.

"I won't lie thing are not looking good. At first the turian fleet sieged Tuchanka and tried to take over by sending shuttles and troops."

The overlord of Tuchanka smiled fondly at the battle memories.

"You should have seem their faces when we attacked with our new ride armors. Tore down their defensive lines punching and scraping the hell out of their tanks. Ah good times."

His face then scowled.

"Then they began to use orbital strikes when they saw they were going to lose front. Every time we win a battle they took away our victory bombing the whole place away. Cowards!"

X nodded.

"Wrex perhaps we could set the teleportation hubs and you bring your people to Earth."

The krogan overlord barked a laugh.

"That's not happening X. No offense to the quarians. But we finally took over our world and it was finally fixed. We are not abandoning it now. If this is our final moment then so be it."

Ken'Bekk quipped in.

"We just took most of the Expeditionary Fleet ships. We can send them over to protect Tuchanka."

Wrex shook head.

"And that fleet will take at least one week to get here. I don't think we will hold out for that long. Even because your fleet just took a beating, how many good ships can you send anyway?"

Uto scowled.

"Right now we only got five thousand good ships to battle. The council can muster a much more huge force at any moment. At least within Citadel space."

Sigma quipped in.

"How long till the ships are ready for another battle?"

Taro'Xen shrugged.

"At least three days for minimal repairs. Then we would hold a fleet of thirty five thousand war ships."

X shook head.

"Ten thousand ships fell on this battle, over hundred thousand causalities. In just one skirmish. This is going to get much worse won't it?"

Taro'Xen looked over to X.

"It will get much bloodier. Unless we can show the council that we are an equal power and that they cannot win."

Uto nodded in agreement.

"That is true. Right now the Council can spare the resources and man power to drag this war as far as they see fit."

Sigma quipped in.

"We on the other hand cannot. Look at Tuchanka. We had to choose Earth or Tuchanka."

Wrex hologram looked around as his voice begun to fail crackling trough the comns. Wrex Barked at them.

* * *

"Do not come you have to prepare! The council will hit again with even more strength! Do you hear me? Do not come to Tuchanka!"

The shimmering image of the other members disappeared and Wrex scowled. He looked back on his bunker as another tremor made some panels fall from the ceiling. He looked back there was Bakara.

The two exchanged looks and Bakara put a soothing claw on his shoulder.

"I don't think they will keep themselves away Wrex."

The overlord shrugged.

"If they are smart enough they will."

Bakara looked deep in his eyes.

"Do not lose hope Overlord. Our allies have not given up on us, neither should you. It is towards you that our people look for guidance now."

Wrex shook head.

"I told them to not come Bakara. Tuchaka's days are counted."

The female shaman smirked in her rough voice.

"Do you think that will keep that blue pyjack from coming either way?"

Wrex barked a laugh.

"You got your point across. The little pyjack has a knack for helpless situations. Look at this alliance of hangtags he united."

Bakara smirked, Wrex raised once again as a prideful Overlord of the Krogan.

Wrex omnitool pinged as he looked over the message and frowned.

"Something is going on."

He stepped in the comns room, several reploids that came with the Aralakh Company were running the comns, a few quarians too. Akuzat looked over to Wrex.

"Overlord you need to see this."

Wrex walked over the long range sensors. There was the fleet sieging Tuchanka. Over fifteen thousand ships. Wrex felt a little disappointed at the number. He though the council would send more. But at the same why bother. The Krogan didn't had their own fleet anyway.

However what caught his attention was new signals entering FTL. Over twenty thousand ships fleet.

"Who are they?"

The reploid operator typed franticly on the console.

"I don't know overlord. No identifiable transponders. No hailing either. The turians seem to be positioning to engage. Wait we got a match on the hull compositions it is… Quarian?"

Wrex was taken aback. The fleet would take at least a week to get here. What was going on? The operator then responded.

"We are being hailed in keelish. Text only."

A text then appeared on screen.

"The Geth Consensus wish to offer assistance to the members of the Systems Alliance."

For what could be counted as a few moments the whole room was filled with silence. No one dared to muster a word. One operator raised an unsettled voice.

"Weren't these guys the one that almost wiped out all the quarians?"

One of the quarian cried out.

"We can't be seriously thinking of talking with them! They are Geth!"

Wrex looked down at the quarian. He them looked back at the screen. The Geth fleet was eclipsing the turian. He then fought. _'Would it be worth?'_

Wrex voice sound to the operator.

"Ask them why."

The comns operator stared at Wrex for a moment and then typed the question. One answer came along.

"Because the consensus want the Systems Alliance to booker the peace between the Geth and the Creators."

Wrex stared down at the letters, the quarian in the room cried out.

"Overlord you can't be thinking of…"

Wrex stared the quarian into silence, the quarian shut up without a Wrex word. The Overlord turned to Akuzat.

"We lost contact with Earth and the fleet. Fix it."

Akuzat didn't retort just bowed and disappeared through the door. Wrex turned to the conms specialist.

"Open a channel to the Geth fleet."

The comns operator typed a few commands and the channel was open. Wrex then barked.

"I am Overlord Urdnot Wrex! Member of the Systems Alliance. Who are you?"

On screen a Geth prime appeared.

"We are Geth."

Wrex growled as a quarian operator quipped in.

"They work in consensus Overlord, no individuals. You talk to one you talk to all of them."

Wrex face palmed himself.

"Oh joy."

The Geth prime flaps opened and closed. As his synthesized voice resounded.

"Query. Does 'All people' includes the Geth?"

Wrex frowned as trying to understand as the words fell in place and he understood what the Geth was talking about. No he understood the question of all Geth. He was talking to all of them. Wrex smirked.

"I think if you can make that question then yah. You are probably part of all people. I can't promise anything. But if you help us now it will count points to dealing with your request."

The Geth flaps opened and closed a few times.

"Then you accept Geth assistance?"

Wrex blinked twice.

"Yeah we do."

The Geth prime nodded.

"Acknowledge. We will now bring the fleet."

The communications were cut short when the sensor operator screamed in awed voice.

"Sir the sensor are getting new GETH ships incoming."

Wrex frowned.

"How many?"

The operator voice was almost a whisper.

"Over thirty thousand and more are arriving… The turians are retreating."

Wrex raised an eye brown and looked over the sensors and shook.

"Heh! Hope I don't regret it."


	9. Chapter 9

**Authors Note:**  
I don't own the rights to neither Mass effect or Mega man series, in any way.  
Guys I cant say how much I appreciate all the support you are giving me. I always thank you for the time you take to point things to me about the story. But for the following chapters I wish to give a special thanks for the Following people:  
 _ **-**_ _ **jetslinger333  
\- Kinunatzs  
\- m6102032  
\- Hishin Trueflame**_  
I will not get into individual specifics, but they are the people that took time to talk with me and Brain Stormed me with Ideas. Great Ideas. Good Ideas. And I am using them from here on onward.  
For that I give all of you my special Thanks.  
And once more I hope you enjoy the Chapter.

 **Chapter 9 – Back Door.**

Fedorian sighted, he was one of the admirals in line to be primarch due to his outstanding military career. But circumstances changed. And he was about to be thrown in a different type of battle field.

He sighted again and muttered.

"Politics."

Next to him he heard another sight.

"No need for such dismay Fedorian."

The turian looked to the asari next to him, she was in a black dress, with head ornaments. She redirected her gaze to the data pad on her hands.

"We were chosen by our governments to bring order to the chaos our Councilors put up. If anything we should be proud."

Next to them a salarian female typed away frenetically on her omnitool, while her voice came in a high pitch.

"Hum, statement suggest acceptance of situation. Datapad with fake text and hidden image of daughter might suggest lake of real interest in current situation. Forced to position? No Benezia really well connected to be forced. Self interest in recent events? Not likely. Never before showed real interest in galactic politics. Unless not related with politics… Perhaps… Yes must ask. Are you curious about the synthetic species?"

Fedorian mind cringed while trying to process the amount of information thrown at him at once by the vocal salarian.

"Spirits! Will I have to get used to your babbling Chirlan Solus?"

The salarian shrugged.

"Unless you are quickly replaced yes. Still waiting for reply Benezia."

The asari sighted as the text on her data pad switched to the image of her daughter.

"Yes you are correct. I have curiosity over the synthetic species."

Fedorian subharmonics hummed curiously.

"I would like to listen to your input in the matter."

Benezia looked over to the turian and nodded. Pulling up an omnitool with the news feed of the Reploids introduction to the old council.

"As you see they are synthetics but they were trying to introduce themselves to the galaxy. As far as I can see, when they got wind of the Expeditionary Fleet they tried to avoid a disastrous first contact."

Fedorian cringed as the salarian voice came with yet another high pitched speech.

"Curious. Turian know for military view of thing yet curious on asari input. Looking for cultural possibilities of attack? Possible. Looking for closer relationship with asari as possible bond mate? Not likely. Fedorian already has bond mate. Turians know for their unshakable loyalty. Trying to bring closer all assets at disposal of council? Most likely. Asari inputs very curious but also very accurate. Still most speculation. Reploids representant didn't have the time to bring up finer matters of spicies. None the less could have meant good will. Hum… Should give input raise productivity of group. Quarians seemed to trust the synthetic even being an A.I. If footage of Doctor Thomas Light not a forgery could possibly meant that base code of the reploids is made to respect aspects of organic life."

Chirlan took a deep breath and smiled brightly at the other two.

"Very productive talk! See you in the Council chambers. Much to think and information to gather. Will run some analysis and simulations."

With that the fast paced speech Chirlan walked briskly away from them both. Fedorian shook head.

"I believe should talk more once we have taken our new post on the council chambers."

Benezia bowed respectfully.

"As do I. See you in a moment."

Fedorian walked over the new office. As the turian were a military institution some tradition were still in place. Such as the transition of a new Councilor.

The office had a few boxes being carried away by some C-Sec that nodded respectfully at Fedorian and left. Villim raised and stopped in front of Fedorian. The two saluted one another.

Fedorian then announced.

"With great honor I relive you form your duties Councilor Villim."

Villim saluted back.

"With great honor I am relieved."

Simple as that the turians then fell on a more relaxed stance, as Villim turned to a counter with turian beverages.

And Fedorian answered.

"No I will have a meeting soon enough. I hatter be sober."

Villim laughed ruefully.

"Soon enough Fedorian you will find that these meeting require a certain amount of alcohol to go through."

Fedorian didn't criticize the comment as two C-Sec entered the room and Villim downed his drink in one go. He was being escorted to Palaven for a military Trial on his recent decisions as the Turian Councilor. Villim got then walked away from the room without another word.

Another C-Sec turian entered the room and salute.

"Congratulations Councilor."

Fedorian smirked.

"I may be the Councilor now Vakarian but that don't give you the right to go all formal on me."

Vakarian though for a moment and nodded speaking analytically professionalism.

"Then I am sorry for you. You are in deep trouble. It is obvious after the failure of the Expeditionary Fleet that the government are trying to save face punishing the old council and trying to push the responsibility on the new one."

Fedorian smirked ruefully, Vakarian was a little blunt and cold bastard. But a right one on that. However nothing to do about it now except to try and make things right. Right now he needed to think a way to solve that mess.

A soft chime came from his omnitool announcing that his fellow councilors were ready to the meeting.

"Well old friend I will see you around."

Fedorian walked through the corridors till reaching the council private room. Benezia had a weary look on her eyes, Chirlan didn't seem to notice him entering the room.

He them directed to Benezia.

"Rough time with Tevos?"

Benezia grimaced.

"Yes. Her… reception to her dismissal was less than ideal."

Chirlan quipped in.

"Asari costumes most curious. Describe less than ideal as throwing a desk with biotic trough the balcony into the presidium. Must keep registry to compare to what they think as a bad reception in comparison to less than ideal."

Benezia shrugged.

"Well anyway I believe it is time for us to decide on what to do about the Systems alliance. How are our fleets at the moment Fedorian?"

Fedorian begin typing in his omnitool a Chirlan stopped her frantic typing seeming to finally put her attention on the gathering.

"Not good. Fearing the quarian advantage in numbers, Villim sent out most of the fleets to engage Earth. By all accounts it should have been enough to take we sent almost half of our fleets, except the reserve and the fleets on patrol. Since none of them came back I had to active all of the reserves while we build up back again. Right now what we could do is gather all patrol fleets and reserves. It would gather us around 35000 ships."

Chirlan scratched her chin.

"Not a very positive prospect."

Benezia quipped in.

"And how are our estimative on our enemy's forces?"

Fedorian scratched his mandibles.

"No ship returned from Earth, except a few STGs and Especter Sailan. We must assume that the most likely scenario is that Alliance have won the battle there. Witch could boil down to two scenarios. One they have a fleet that survived the encounter. Second both fleet destroyed one another in the engagement. In both scenarios I would assume that our sheer number right now could be used to subdue then. However we got a most disturbing news on the fleet on the krogan DMZ."

Chirlan nodded.

"That is true our spy drones showed that there is a Geth fleet over Tuchanka protecting it. So far we can speculate that the Reploids have managed to bring the Geth into the Alliance. The fleet over Tuchanka is numbered in forty thousand ships."

Benezia blinked at that.

"I sorry you said Forty thousand?"

Chirlan nodded.

"Yes. Possibly they might have more behind the Perseus Veil. In comparison the biggest fleet we have today is the turian fleet with twenty thousand ships. Second comes the asari and salarian fleets with twelve thousand ships each. And then we have our client races fleets with four thousand ships each."

Benezia nodded.

"I understand but how did they make so many ships?"

Chirlan shrugged.

"Many possibilities, most likely Geth don't waste time. Since their isolation behind the Perseus veils. They are also synthetic, they have no problem with supply lines the same way we have. Their ships would not have the same level of care in atmospheric maintained like ours. Less things to worry in construction faster construction lesser cost in maintained. Over tree hundred years. Yes. Plenty time to build a large armada. Hard to fully foresee full armada strength."

Fedorian scratched his mandibles beginning to wish for the drink Villim offered. Things didn't look good.

Fedorian sighted.

"Well that is not all."

Benezia and Chirlan looked at him, while he proceeded.

"Right now our only ships and fleets are on patrol duty. Even those sieging Tuchanka were supposed to be patrolling the Attican traverse. If we call them to take down the Alliance in an all out war we will be completely exposed to the Terminus Systems. And I am already getting reports of movement along the border. It was a fortunate thing that the Last Council did retrofit the defenses but even so without the patrol fleets support I can see pirates and raiders getting bold."

Benezia then scratched her chin.

"Then I don't see war as a good path for us. I believe now would be a good time to reflect on why this war have started."

The other two looked at her, Benezia continued.

"You see from reports that we received from the old council they begun a series of preventive actions against the Quarians and Krogans, because they got antsy about a third parties using them to make the largest army in the galaxy."

Chirlan quipped in.

"If it had proven right. As far as we could see from reports they were indeed trying to change the path of their species. Krogan begun Cultural Revolution quarians begun to work towards becoming truly independents. Old council saw that as a Blow against citadel image."

Benezia nodded.

"In certain ways it was. Just like the news feed on Tuchanka put a lot on the table to think of. Perhaps the Council mistake was to not be open to changes. I can see much of the Alliance bringing a movement to our stagnant stage."

Fedorian nodded.

"That might be. Our military doctrine haven't changed in the last thousand years to be so overwhelmed in a single combat. We will have to change tactics and improve ourselves."

Chirlan blinked in fast succession fixing the other two councilors.

"Fascinating."

The other two threw an inquisitive look at her. The salarian then explained.

"You two don't share previous council insights. Neither do I. It's easy to know why I have being chosen as new salarian representative. My opinions not really popular in salarian union. But hold too much political power to be suppressed. Send to represent and fail and be hidden off. Easiest way. Wonder if… Perhaps yes have to ask. Are you two in similar position within governments?"

The other shifted uncomfortable as the salarian smirked.

"Ah… I see. So you also saw trough the deception. Must ask then. What are your true thoughts on the situation?"

Fedorian barked a laugh, but a new wave of relief running true him. He didn't really like the political bullshit. Being in the same boat put them in a position were sincerity could be spoken.

"I think the situation escalated into the most stupid outcome it could have. I spoke against the invasion. Too many unknowns. To underestimate an adversary was stupidity in highest level. To hold and prepare fleets while gathering intelligence. That was my opinion. The Hierarchy though I was a coward."

Benezia sighted.

"Well it must be obvious to you that the asari matriarchy approved the invasion with fear of losing technological edge on the galactic scenery. I though it as stupid. At some point we would have to move away from mass effect technology. The matriarchy didn't like it at all."

The salarian nodded.

"Yes. Many salarian were scared of a second Geth species. But Reploids came clean trying to proper introducing themselves. I tried to point that out to the Salarian Union. Was gently asked to step away from other political discussions. Also sent a few assassins. Lucky really tight ties with STG. Was prepared for them."

Fedorian shook head.

"Well as far as I can see. We might have a chance to win the war if we bring to bear the client races fleets and abandon all patrol fleets to attack. We will win against the Alliance but will surely loose the Citadel Council to the Terminus Systems. After the war neither race on the Citadel Council space will be in shape to rebuke the Terminus. Right now they are watching us ready to attack at the first sign of weakness."

Benezia typed a few commands on her omnitool and data on the terminus appeared.

"Perhaps we don't have to worry with that. If we are willing to compromise."

The other two looked over to Benezia. She kept typing as new information crossed on the hollo screen.

"You see after the Systems alliance begun to change the krogan and he Krogan began to act differently on the terminus you can observe a few communities trying to change too. In some ways the helpless krogan no longer acting as warmonger species brought a new example on the Terminus."

Fedorian leaned in.

"True enough, the Hierarchy have being tracing decline of crimes on border thanks to the Aralakh Company. But what are you talking about a compromise Benezia?"

Benezia nodded.

"We make peace and let them Alliance do to the Terminus what they have done to the Krogan."

The other two just stared at her in dumb silence as Fedorian was the first to ask.

"I am sorry. But why, in the spirits name, they would do that?"

Chirlan quipped in typing on her omnitool showing up doctors Light message.

"They can't help it. Reploids beliefs are in some ways in the core of the Alliance, and is their nature to try and help. They will not stand to seeing the people of the Terminus that live in such a wretched live to keep living that way. Many were just like the krogan and quarians. Some factions live in violence because they have no other choice. But once the Systems Alliance come around I see many joining them willingly or willing to be under their wing. They will surely bring stability in that sector."

Fedorian leaned back.

"It would also gave them great power on the long run. They would engulf the Citadel by their sheer size."

Benezia nodded.

"That is true, unless we also grow in the same pace. From here onward our efforts would be around commerce. To increase our economic power and tie our two governments would be the best hope I foresee to keep the peace between our people."

Chirlan smiled typing on her omnitool.

"Interesting approach. Creating an interdependence between us to make sure one cannot destroy the other without great backlash. Wait! Alliance synthesizer make such a thing impossible. Sub existence not dependent on our economy. Unless… Yes possible. Have to ask. Could the Volus Protectorate come up with unified bank system to better bind both economies? Would also have to show equal benefit to binding."

Fedorian looked up smiling.

"Well probably they can. The Volus are really good with their numbers. I believe they can come up with something."

Benezia hummed musing.

"Now we must think. Are we trying to reignite this war or are we aiming for peace?"

Chirzan leaned in.

"Peace indeed preferable. But looking weak might bring further aggression from alliance. They do have krogans as core species."

Fedorian smirked.

"I will make sure to bear the best we can from the fleets, including our client races fleets. Unfortunately we will be vulnerable for some time."

Chirzan nodded, while Benezia grimaced.

"Perhaps we could delegate it to some mercenaries. Like the Eclipse."

Fedorian sneered.

"Can't say I like that Idea. But I guess it is our best option to keep the colonies safe while we maneuver the fleets."

Fedorian then sighted.

"I will provide it. I believe you would have the contacts for that councilor Chirzan."

Chirzan was typing away on her omnitool.

"Yes. Yes, will send contacts to you later on."

Benezia then nodded.

"Very well we should then head for Tuchanka with our fleet and diplomatic envoy. All agreed?"

The other two nodded.

"Good. How soon can we depart?"

Fedorian typed on his omnitool getting the numbers.

"Will need at least four days to bring the fleets."

Chirzan nodded.

"In the meantime will coordinate the STG and Specters to keep an eye on the Alliance. We don't need any surprises right now. But still getting up to speed. Many projects were on the run before we entered in place."

* * *

Saelan was in the specters labs on the Citadel. He looked over the rusted and busted robot on the table. He had during the Expeditionary Fleet attack, managed to pass through the fleet and reploid defenses with a stealth ship. Small enough to not be perceived visually. Unless you were looking directly at it.

He came down to the ruined world and managed to salvage some of the Cataclysm robots. As a specter it was his duty to defend the Citadel. And right now he was hopping to provide the citadel with Reploid technology to give them a fighting chance.

He was dissection the memory units as the weapons on thin one robot. He began running the scanners trough the coding. His eyes widened in surprise. The coding in it was simply too much to be easily decomposed by his omnitool that was top of specters equipment.

When there was a small spark on his omnitool and the lights on the lab fluctuated slightly. Saelan looked around and turned up his communicator.

"This is specter Saelan. I just detected an energy fluctuation on the grid on Specters Area."

The voice came crackled on the other side for a moment and the Specter frowned.

"Sir it is a minor fluctuation. We are detecting it in a few areas on the Citadel. Our technicians are being dispatched right now."

* * *

"That was a surprise."

Taro observed Wrex rumbling voice at the Alliance council on the hollo chamber. All the other representatives of the Alliance together. The Conclave representative Zea'Zorah cried out.

"For the ancestors. Please tell me you are not thinking in bringing the Geth to the Alliance!"

Wrex barked back in annoyance.

"Why not? Look at that fleet they are already here and they already saved Tuchanka!"

Uto quipped in.

"But they are Geth! They are just finding a way to finish what they started and wipe out the quarians! We can't trust them!"

Wrex roared.

"Who said anything about trust? They are the strength we need to topple the Citadel Council!"

Sigma then quipped in.

"I am of the same mind as Wrex. With the help of the Geth we could take down our enemies once and for all. I know it is a great risky especially for the Quarians. But wouldn't it be worth to have one less enemy to fight?"

Feeda barked back.

"How can we have them in our ranks? They are…"

Feeda cut her own speech before she continued and Sigma narrowed his eyes sneering.

"Come finish it Admiral. You were saying how can you trust ?"

Annant growled annoyed.

"This is not how she meant it Commander! And you know it."

Sigma growled back at the krogan.

"Please enlighten me."

Taro observed as the talks run back and forth, in an endless loop getting ever so higher voices. Except for one. He observed X demeanor on the hollo.

The blue robot was silent, his eye seemed a little devoid of his inner light. But on the calm surface he could see that something was bubbling underneath. He spent too much time with him to not notice when something was amiss.

Taro shook head wondering. When was that he stopped to regard X as a thing and began to think of him as a being. He then looked around the shouts and discords on the table and something bubbled inside of him.

Taro draw his Carnifex and Shoot up, the admirals and the conclave dodged down as the Krogans watched with open mouths and the reploids with widened eyes. Taro holstered his gun and spoke calmly as if nothing ever happened.

"Now that the bickering is dead. X would mind share your though on the Geth subject?"

All eyes turned to X that blinked twice and took a deep breath.

"As far as I can see, Wrex done the right thing. He took the help but never said that it would be the entering ticket for the Geth on the Alliance."

Wrex just huffed crossing his arms.

"That's damn right! I am no fool! And I know that it has to come around all of us."

X continued.

"And the Geth didn't actually asked for it. They have asked for the Alliance interference with the Quarian and Geth war. That is the Alliance and Geth war now. We all knew that it was a possibility to go to war with the Geth in the future."

Taro narrowed his eyes.

"There is more isn't?"

X smiled.

"I guess I got a little jealous of the Geth."

Everyone on the room was silent. Zea then asked, with awe and doubt in her voice.

"I do not understand. What do you mean X?"

X nodded.

"No matter what we the Reploids do we will never be able to turn to our creators the humans and say. 'Here let me give you a hand.' Our Creators are long gone and I can't help them anymore. I can't even say I'm sorry for not being there to help them. There is no one there to hear it."

Ken'Bekk leaned in.

"X what happened to the humans was not your fault. You can't blame yourself for it. The reploids have done nothing wrong."

X then looked back at each of the admiral's eyes. Those piercing green eyes.

"And did the Geth? I mean was really their fault?"

Zea'Zorah spoke.

"Of course it was! They expelled us from Rannoch! Our own home world!"

X then pressure it.

"And how did it happened?"

Uto spoke with steel in his voice.

"The Geth accidently gained conscious and attacked us."

Taro'Xen understood were it was going and groaned. Everyone looked at him. Taro didn't want to be to one to say it. But no one else would see it that way.

"I have being studying synthetics since we found X. And that included researching our own history about the Geth. After thirty years of research I have begun to gather through our fleet fragments of information. As far as I can see this is how it really happened. We created the geth to be cheap labor force. As our need for more complex activities and the bigger the Geth consensus grow the smarter it become. So when it grow enough to be self-sentient we tried to destroy everyone one of them. Then was when the Geth fought back."

All the admirals were in stunned silence. Wrex shrugged.

"Well that sure bring a spin to things."

Zea voice was but a whisper, she sounded almost accusing.

"Is that true? You mean to say that the Geth were just fighting to protect themselves?"

Taro nodded at her as Uto quipped in.

"You have those files? That evidence?"

Taro once more nodded in accordance. Then Ken'Bekk asked.

"Why didn't you said anything about it before?"

Taro huffed shading his head.

"To be lynched? No thank you! I like living. Even because X already knew it."

All eye turned to X, as the blue robot nodded.

"Yes that is true I knew it from the start. Taro showed me the research and after talking together we thought it would be better to let the Quarians get more used to the reploids before presenting it."

Taro nodded.

"We thought that it was too soon to reveal it to the Alliance. The Quarian nurtured a hatred towards the Geth for so long. It would not easily be forgotten. We were afraid that right now it would tear the Alliance inside out."

Wrex narrowed his eyes.

"Well now I am pissed off."

Everyone turned at him. Wrex now stood up and his blood red irises narrowed at each of the quarians. That could not help but flinch under his glare. Even after so many years knowing the krogan Taro couldn't help to feel antsy under his glare.

"When we talked about this alliance you said the only way the krogan were getting help was if we let go of our old habits. And Aralakh it was hard. Slow and maddening thing to do! To make it work. To convince all the krogans to let go of their hatred towards the council and the despair of the genophage to build a future. And now! NOW! That we have a possible powerful ally at our doors almost BEGGING to be at least in peace! You have the courage to tell me you are too used to hate it to actually change and accept them? Is that right?"

Wrex was roaring at the end of his speech, and no quarian could look him in the eyes. But Wrex was not done yet.

"Tuchanka is in Shambles once again. My people risked everything for this Alliance. If you say that you cannot look over your wounds to move towards a future tell me now! And we will walk away from this farce!"

Sigma cut in then.

"Just wait a moment Wrex don't be…"

Wrex cut him off.

"We will! The Alliance needed the krogan to be their best. And we have done so. The only fair thing is that the Quarians be their best as well! Otherwise no deal! We will not be once again with backstabbing allies that only care for themselves."

Zea'Zorah voice raised above others.

"Overlord Wrex is correct."

All the eyes turned to her. She then proceeded.

"Taro send your findings. We will have copies delivered in every ship on every omnitool for all quarians to see. We then will meet the Geth with a white slate."

Zea then turned to Sigma.

"I believe your people will see a lot of strife on the streets and revolt. Are the Reploids ready for such a thing?"

Commander sigma nodded.

"Yes we still have many of the humans civilian control methods. We should be able to subdue it if it became violent, without hurting the quarians. But we might have to arrest a few ones for that."

Feeda'Kadi quipped in.

"I will send a few of our own civilian patrols. They should be better acepted then the reploids when things come to push."

Sigma scratched his chin.

"Very well I will coordinate them together."

Zea'Zorah them announced, her voice flexed a sour taste.

"I will inform the Conclave and once they have read through the findings of Taro and the people know of it. I will suggest that we come forward with a announcing to the people. All alliance wide that our history is wrong. And that we might be looking at the Geth on our Alliance."

Wrex nodded.

"That's more like it."

* * *

The quarians conclave and Admiralty joined to discuss Taro's findings and it was the lengthiest discussion of the conclave ever made since the Creation of the Migrant Fleet. All the remaining captains shouting and discussing for two days in a roll. It was supposed to be a one day reunion, but no contest could be achieved in that time. So they took another one.

A quarts of the quarians on Earth made protests through the streets. As they did not cause injury to anyone or tried to destroy the city the maverick hunters didn't act on them. It was only observing. It was the right to announce their discontent on the subject.

Other quarians were already used to the Reploids, and though that Taro's findings sounded plausible. If such a thing was true then perhaps the Geth were there indeed to offer assistance.

That was reluctant hope. That the Geth were not the monsters they were told.

The younger generation had an easier time absorbing that possibility. The older ones having a harder time. Some could barely tolerate the Reploids.

After all was said and done the conclave and Admiralty came to the same opinion they would only welcome the Geth on the chance that Rannoch was given back to the quarians. Otherwise the Quarians would only accept a cease fire. The rest of the Alliance stood to it.

The quarians needed their home world back and the krogan were right behind them. The systems Alliance new Fleet Arrived in Tuchanka and the Geth sent to the planet side a representative for the peace talks.

* * *

The round room was filled with tension, X though he could cut it with a knife. The quarian admiralty and the Conclave representing were present. Together with Urdnot Wrex and the clans representatives of Tuchanka. X, Sigma and Colonel were representing the Reploids.

The geth platform walked in the room. It eyes scanned around the round table. All member stood up and X spoke.

"We of the Systems alliance receive the Geth representative that wishes to address to us. We are opening this sessions to speak."

The Geth tilted its head as its flaps opened and closed. The synthesized voice announced.

"This is a platform of the Geth."

X nodded.

"Can we assume that this platform speak for the whole Geth consensus?"

The platform nodded.

"That is correct."

X nodded and inquired.

"For the sake of making for an easier communication I request to address to this platform with a standard designation."

The Geth platform tilted it head.

"This platform houses 1183 run times, which designation would you request?"

Sigma quipped in.

"Legion because you are many."

Many eyes turned to the commander. Who shrugged?

"It seemed appropriated."

The geth flaps open and closed.

"We find this designation acceptable."

X nodded.

"Then we can proceed."

All members sited, Legion done the same mimicking their method. There was then a long awkward silence. X coughed.

"Would you like to present your case to us now Legion?"

The geth tilted its head and nodded.

"The Geth consensus wish for the Systems Alliance to intermediate the peace between the Geth and the Creators."

A little more summarized then what X had hoped. Then Taro'Xen intruded.

"The quarians are a little wary that it is a ruse of the Geth Consensus to make us lower our guard to be killed by the Geth."

Legion flaps opened in full bloom and froze in that form, for over thirty seconds. Then they got back to normal.

"The Geth do not wish to harm Creators. We wish for them to come back home and live together once more."

Zea'Zorah raised the question, already predicting the answer.

"Why to drive us away in the first place then?"

The Geth looked down for a moment and then back at the representatives.

"We were fighting for our survival. We never meant for creators to be in such position. But the fought for the right to exist."

X observed as all the quarians took a deep breath. They were feeling stupid after all, with Taro's research and Legions words. The only people responsible for the Quarian plight were the quarians people themselves. It was their decision that led to all these events so many years ago.

Wrex the barked.

"Ok I got a question. Why now?"

Legion flaps opened and closed.

"Specify subject."

Wrex shook head.

"Why try to make peace with the quarians now?"

Legion nodded.

"Because we have being surveilling on the Extra Net. We saw that creators were now coexisting with synthetics. And synthetics promised to fight for all people. We estimated that now was the best chance the Geth had to achieve peace."

Zea announced.

"This alliance has no quarrel with the Geth. Hence forth a non-hostility treat can be arranged as other things. As the peace."

Legion looked down as his run times entered in discussion for a few minutes then it looked up again.

"What would take for Geth integration into the Alliance?"

Uto spoke up.

"First of all the return of Rannoch to the quarians."

All members of the Alliance nodded in unison. Legion flaps opened and closed.

"Then Geth will be allowed to be with creators once more?"

The Quarians exchanged looks and looked over to X that nodded at them. Taro'Xen spoke then.

"If your intentions are true we are willing to try. We will begin with a colony on Rannoch with the same number of quarians and reploids. In that proportion we will accept the same number of Geth platforms on planet side. We will make it a trial. With we can keep peace on that colony for at least five years the Geth will be welcome into the Systems Alliance as full members with all benefits that account for. Such as access to our technologies."

X asked the platform.

"Is that acceptable for the Geth consensus?"

Legion looked up to the group and nodded.

"The Geth agree with the proposition."

X stood up.

"Then it is my honor to announce that the Geth are now a trial race on our Alliance."

A chime from the Alliance Members omnitool, everyone looked at them and Wrex grumbled.

"Talk about timing. The Citadel Fleet just arrived."

Uto nodded.

"Around thirty five thousand ships in a single fleet."

X scratched his chin.

"Well I guess we got them a little jittery."

Legion tilted its head.

"Query. Are the Alliance going to launch an attack on the Citadel?"

Admiral Feeda typed on her omnitool.

"It looks like they have a diplomatic envoy requesting for peace talks."

Wrex waved his hand dismissively.

"If we count the Geth, right now our fleet is twice the size of their own. I say we crush them and be finished with it."

X eyes widened.

"Wait! what?"

Uto followed.

"That is true. It won't be a problem if we act now. Our fleet is in the numbers of seventy thousand ships. Even with some losses here we can still pull it up. We can put them down once and for all."

Legion quipped in.

"There are still Geth armada behind the Perseus Veil."

Wrex Barked a laugh and Sigma leaned forward.

"In that case are you saying that we could have a two front assault on the Citadel Forces?"

The Geth platform nodded.

"Affirmative."

X voice broke through the talks.

"Wait you can't all be talking serious?"

All eyes turned to him, as the Geth tilted his head.

"Geth do not understand. Our probability of success is of 90%. Why hesitate?"

Wrex narrowed his eyes towards X.

"Remember runt. There are times when you cannot hesitate in pulling the trigger."

X nodded.

"Yes, but you should not pull the trigger just because you can!"

All the others looked at him. And Sigma quipped in.

"X right now we have the upper hand. The council is weakened by their arrogance. We might not have such a chance to do it again. We should not let go of such an opportunity."

X looked around at all of them. How could they think of it?

"But why?"

Wrex growled.

"They dare to march upon our worlds X! They took arms and attacked us when we wanted nothing more then take care of our own business! You can't expect us to be still. We have to show them that they cannot do as they please. They have to see that there is a price for trying to stomp at us!"

X shook head.

"But the lives that will be lost…"

Sigma cut in.

"What about the lives that have already been lost X? What about all the reploid, Quarians and Krogans that died in this invasion attempt? We will just look the other way and pretend that it is all right?"

X had a lack of words, he could not retort the worlds.

"They sent a diplomatic envoy they wish for peace."

Uto nodded.

"Out of convenience of course. They bet on an easy win and now are paying the price. We must show that there are consequences for such actions."

There were no more reasoning that X could muster on them. But he got a gut feeling and a gut feeling alone that this was not what they should be doing. And he would not give an inch on that.

"The Reploid Nation will not take part in this slaughter."

All members looked at him, Wrex growled.

"You can't be serious runt!"

Sigma leaned in.

"X think carefully about it. We need this victory to ensure that such a thing will never happen again."

X stared down at Sigma.

"Eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth. This war will never have an end. As leader of the Reploid Nation I refuse to give a single reploid to this war effort. I will lead the Reploid Nation to defend to last quarian, krogan or geth against our foes. But I will not act to bring such slaughter to the galaxy. This will not be our legacy."

Legion voice resounded getting everyone attention.

"The Geth Consensus agree with X. We will dispose of fleets for defense but not for destruction."

Wrex raised up with rage dripping in every word.

"You egg heads cannot be that stupid! We have to take advantage now! You know what will happen? They will sent their asari whores to make us sign insulting peace! Anything to put then over us again! I will not have the krogan under the Council a second time!"

Zea raised her voice.

"Neither will the Conclave agree to be beggars of the galaxy once more! Do you think that we will go back to wandering the galaxy as scavengers? You showed us that we can be much more. And now we need your help X. We need the reploids to by our side in the battle."

X then raged. For the first time they saw the blue robot rage in front of them and all could fell a chilling down their spine as the greenish eyes flared. Legion could detect several run times in loop unable to fully process X presence in the room. Taro looked up as lights flicked randomly and over to his omnitool, seeing as it begun to run programs by itself.

"Listen to yourselves! You are so afraid of being once more sub judged by the Council that are willing to do the same thing to them yourselves!"

Wrex noticed that he had taken one step back from the leader of the reploid nation. X seemed to slowly take a breath as the light subdued from his eyes. Taro observed as everything whet back to normal. And X proceeded.

"I say we first listen to what they have to say. If true peace can be achieved I will support it. No subjugation. We as a free power not bound by the Council in any way. If in even that event you decide to go to war I will not support you."

All the members wanted to argue but could not. They knew the blue robot was to done yet.

"However, if the Council try to bind us I will personally be there on first row of the forces attacking them. I will not go by any lees them our freedom. But I will not be the thing I say I am fighting against."

Another chime came from Taro's omnitool, warning him of income messages to see that the diplomatic envoy was ready to the Peace Talks.

He them looked over the other members of the alliance and Wrex was the first to growl.

"Damn it all! All right we will do your way X! But just because I know it will fail. Them I want you to keep your word and be at the first assault on the Citadel."

The quarians nodded at Wrex assentation and X breathed relived. As he typed on his omnitool to the diplomatic envoy to meet them on planet.

* * *

Captain Lyndaia of the Destiny Ascension had Tuchanka on her screen. She felt antsy, the krogan home world was in shambles, but the sheer size of the fleet that guarded it was unnerving. The diplomatic envoy had being deployed at the world side and should be beginning peace talks right now.

And she did indeed wished for it to go smoothly. She was taken away from her reverie by the comns operator.

"Ma'am! You got incoming package on secure line. Priority Skyfall."

Lyndaia eyes went wide.

"Patch it through the fleet captains, let's see what the council got to us."

Lyndaia observed as the message had the signature of Specter Saelan. A little different from protocol, but not unheard of. She opened the packaged followed by an oscillation of her omnitool, she formed at it but soon enough the message came.

"Evidence shows that the Alliance Fleet will attack during peace talks. Be ready to counter."

Lyndaia narrowed her eyes cursing under her breath.

"Pacth all captains trough!"

The conms officer nodded as the bridges lights suddenly flickered. Lyndaia looked over to the engineer on bridge, a salarian that just shrugged.

"Just a minor energy fluctuation Captain. Nothing to worry about."

Lyndaia just stared down at him.

"Good! Keep it that way!"

The comns specialist then announced.

"Captain all ships are on the line."

The asari nodded.

"You all received a high priority encrypt package form the citadel Council, just like me. I want all ships in red alert ready for combat. Keep your weapons hot…"

The sensors specialist then shouted.

"Ma'am the Silent Huntress has just went dark! The sensors detect it was shot down by the Alliance fleet."

Lyndaia cursed under her breath.

"Goddess! All ships shoot back!"


	10. Chapter 10

**Authors Note:**  
I don't own the rights to neither Mass effect or Mega man series, in any way.  
Here is the Final Chapter Hope you guys like it!

 **Chapter 10 – Free Will.**

Admiral Uto Appeared in a flash of light in the bridge of the new acquired Dreadnought that the Reploids manage to capture. Uto quickly shouted.

"Status Report!"

The sensor operator begin reporting.

"Admiral Sir! The Citadel Fleet begun to shoot at us out of nowhere! The generals begun to shoot back! And the Geth are holding defensive position keeping the fleet from trying to maneuver us."

Uto nodded in accordance. With the numbers they now bear they could encircle the enemy fleet. The cons operator began to shout.

"Sir the third and fifth fleet are requesting assistance. They are being tore down by the Destiny ascension."

Uto Swear under his breath, the Destiny ascension was a whole other level of warfare. The unique super Dreadnought could bear power equal to at least two fleets. And being handled only by the best also counted.

Uto didn't like it but the truth was that good part of the new fleets were being handled by the reploids also worked against then. The reploids for the best of their fast learning capabilities didn't have the experience of space warfare like the rest of the know space faring species.

Hell Uto even though that the Volus would be able to hold a space fight against the reploids.

"Open a channel with the Geth!"

The conms operator froze for a moment and then patched trough a panel, a holo screen come to live in front of the admiral. A geth prime appeared.

"Greeting Creator Uto. How may this unit offer assistance?"

Uto nodded.

"We assistance with the Destiny Ascecion. The reploids don't have experience to fight then directly."

The geth prime flaps one and closed as his voice garbled almost incongruently.

"Gr-gr-great-t-t-tings Cr-cr-cr-creat-t-t-tor Ut-t-t-t-to H-h-h-how may this…"

Uto stepped back as the link was suddenly cut off, he looked to the comns operator, who had his fingers flying across the holo panels.

"Admiral I don't know what happened! The Feed have being cut!"

The conms operator head snapped to a report, eyes widening in shook.

"Sir the Cyber warfare defenses are grinding against citadel fleet attacks! They to have slipped a heave virus package to the entire fleet!"

Uto eyes widened. He never heard of a computer virus that could spread like that to the whole fleet. The tree most Cyber warfare savvy species in the galaxy were on his side. The geth, the quarians and the reploids… Uto felt cold sweat down his spine. He opened a link to the cyberwar fare unit. A quarian on the other site was shouting orders and then turned to the admiral.

"Admiral sir! The virus is trying to take control of main sensors on the fleet. Also it's trying to crawl into the life support and Core control systems! If the reploids didn't spend so much time teaching us how to fight the maverick virus we would had lost control and not even would had noticed."

Uto felt a cold grip in his guts and ordered.

"Compare this new virus to the Maverick Virus."

The operator on the other side just widened his eyes and the screen closed, Uto then shouted to the sensors operator.

"Report on the Geth ships!"

The operator responded.

"Sir The have very little causalities the main force…"

Uto cut him.

"I want to know their movements and emplacement on tactical now!"

The operator did it as the hologram showed the position of the Geth ships. Uto narrowed his eyes, the some ships were making weird maneuvers. The operator began to speak.

"Sir part of the Geth armada simply seem to have powered down. And I am not managing to get comns back with them. I can't tell if we are being plain ignored or if there some king of interference."

The Cyber warfare screen jumped in front of Uto.

"Admiral Sir! WE have a match. It is the Maverick Virus but…"

Uto slammed his fist on a nearby panel.

"But what?"

The quarian was taken aback but resumed his report.

"Sir it look s like it have evolve. Not just that, but it seems to be continuously broadcasting trough the Extra net."

Uto went pale behind his mask. An ominous silence filled the bridge. The admiral shook head.

"Would the Geth be able to fend off the virus?"

The specialist on the other side just shook.

"I don't think so. By itself the virus was the ultimate artificial intelligence corrupting force. With this upgrades…"

The operator just let the meaning hanging. The admiral nodded and begun to relay orders.

"We are assuming defensive position! All ships keep away from the battle fronts with the geth and Citadel forces! Let them fight each other out. There are Maverick Geths incoming."

Uto watched with ominous fascination the tactical display of the deadly dance playing on the field. And gave a silent prayer.

"Ancestors, protect us."

* * *

Defeat. That was the feeling roaming the room. Even with the victory of the Alliance Fleet there were just too many losses in that battle that just happened over Tuchanka. While the Alliance forces were engaging the Citadels the Geth went berserk and begun shooting on everyone on sight. After the defeat of the Citadel Fleet the remaining forces were fighting against one another. What was left was a tattered fleet of Five thousand ships.

X eyes swept the room, all the representatives of the alliance were in deadly silence. He took a breath and quipped in.

"I do believe we need to decide our next rout of action."

The quarians nodded and Wrex huffed. Legion was standing still with his light shut off. All the Geth that were fast enough had shut themselves off to preventing the virus infection.

Sigma took lead.

"First of all. The maverick virus seem to have evolved. Taro Could this virus have come with our fleet from Earth?"

Taro scratched his vocalizer.

"Actually I think it's far worse than that."

The quarian admiral begun to type on his omnitool showing diagrams and communications surveillance around Tuchanka.

"As you see, there was communication package sent to the Citadel Fleet before all hell broke loose."

Sigma narrowed his eyes.

"What are we looking at?"

Taro nodded and the diagram changed.

"As you see it seems like a harmless security package. But if you break the coding here, there and here."

Spoke Taro as he highlighted the fragments of code. X eyes widened in panic.

"It is the maverick virus. It was sent in a package form the Citadel!"

Wrex scratched his head.

"Now wait a damn minute there. How did you catch up on that? I thought we didn't had any spy or stuff."

Taro nodded.

"Actually we don't, but for some reason this communication was pinged to the whole fleet over tuchanka. From the citadel to us and the geth."

Sigma interjected.

"And our fleet have been infected?"

Taro shook his head.

"No. It tried but our Cyberwar fare defenses had mange to hold. But…"

Taro hesitate for a moment and Wrex growled.

"Spit it out already!"

Taro was taken aback but nodded.

"The Virus seemed to try and take control of our sensors and other key systems. It could simply show to us whatever it wanted. The few Citadel personal we captured said that we were the ones to begin the fire. When we clearly didn't."

X blinked twice.

"Wait you saying that the virus made we engage in battle on purpose?"

Taro nodded.

"Yes it seems that it have become smarter and more underhanded. But it have something else. We are actually picking up a signal from the virus through the Extra Net."

Sigma scratched his chin.

"A signal? You mean like…"

Taro cut the commander.

"Like a direct order link. And it is coming from the Citadel."

X narrowed his eyes.

"That is not how the Maverick Virus work."

Taro nodded.

"Not in deed. The only thing I can think of is that the somehow the Citadel manage to catch a sample of the virus and repurposed it."

There was an ominous silence on the room. Wrex raised an eye brow.

"Just when I though they couldn't be any stupider…"

Sigma scowled.

"That's just a theory. We tried to do the same in the labs but that is simply impossible. You can't simply repurpose the Maverick Virus."

A chime came from X omnitool and he looked down and waded his eyes. Typing on it as an emergency begun to broad cast on a hollo screen for everyone to see. A salarian with a blood dripping from the corner of its mouth was shouting.

"This is Councilor Chirlan Solus and this is an emergency broad cast! The Citadel have been taken over by synthetics and a computer virus. I repeat the Citadel have been taken over. Isolate all transmitting it is not safe!"

There was a rocking sound of something exploding and the message simply replayed itself over and over again. Taro nodded.

"I correct myself. Some idiot took the virus to the citadel and our worse fear happened."

X stood up.

"You said that there was a signal coming from the citadel right?"

Taro nodded.

"Yes pretty much why?"

X nodded.

"We need to take what's left form our fleet to the citadel and shut off the signal."

Wrex smiled at that.

"Yeah we can blow up the Citadel! Finally a plan I can work with."

X shook head.

"We are rescuing the people trapped in there while another group try to locate and shut down the signal."

Wrex scowled.

"Now why would we do that?"

Taro raised.

"Because we cannot stop the systems that had already been infected. But we reduce the damage shutting down the signal."

Sigma then raised.

"And because the Citadel now is a place full of mavericks. And as a Maverick hunter we are sworn to be the sword and shield of those who cannot protect themselves."

Wrex eyes swept around the other members of the alliance and he grumbled.

"Oh joy. When do we go?"

* * *

Vakarian dodged behind a garden wall as several security mechs begun shooting at him. Their aim was simply insane. In all his years he never saw a security mech work like that. And they were working in group with sound strategies. It was simply not done. No mech should work like that.

"We are all going to die!"

Exclaimed a c-sec beside him. Vakarin narrowed his to the man and grabbed him by the collar.

"You are a turian! And you are a C-sec officer! Get ahold of yourself."

The cold commanding voice seemed to wash away the panic of the C-sec officer how saluted Vakarian.

"Yes sir."

Vakarian looked around it was not looking good. No matter how he looked at it. It was like not just the security mech were against them but the whole Citadel. Doors would suddenly look down cutting of reinforces or escape routes. It was maddening to try to direct people to the docks for evacuation to find the routes blocked. They were cutting every door they could to leave the citadel. But that was taking too much time. The worse was that even reaching for the Docks there was no ships to evacuate.

Vakarian took a look through the wall and counted the mechs while shots ringed trough his head. It was a small platoon and he had six C-sec with him. Some were pretty much desk workers. Keeping bureaucracy working and barely trained for combat.

A garbled voice began to broadcast over the open comns. Vakarian raised and listened.

"This is Admiral Uto from the alliance Fleet. Who is in charge?"

Vakarian sighted in defeat. Of course the Alliance would come down crashing at the Citadel in the first sign of weakness. Right now he needed to save the most he could of people. He reached for his omnitool.

"This is Officer Vakarian. I am in charge of C-Sec forces on the Citadel."

Uto voice came from the omnitool.

"Understood officer. We are here to offer assistance. Your space station is under control of a highly advanced computer virus. It is being broadcast trough the citadel to the rest of the galaxy. We are here to help evacuation and to turn off the signal."

Vakarian made the equivalent of raising on eye brown. The computer virus he could understand. But why here to help evacuations? As pragmatic man he would not look away this kind of help.

"Understood admiral. We need help at the dockings and reinforcements along the station. I will pinpoint then to you. I will also inform my man to not open fire."

"Thank you Officer. We are sending an advanced team to try and shut off the signal."

* * *

X eyes twitched as he directed his to Wrex. Beside him.

"I though you knew how to fly a shuttle."

Wrex huffed as he checked his shotgun.

"And I do."

X pointed at the crashed shuttle behind them, Taro Was checking schematics on his omnitool.

"So why have crashed?"

Wrex shrugged.

"We didn't crash. It was an emergency landing."

X face palmed as Taro came along.

"That was actually a good flight we are pretty close to the Citadel Tower. We should be able to find the signal. It seems to be broadcast from the Council chambers."

X raised an eye brown.

"Wait how you know that?"

Taro put down his omnitool and premed his smg.

"I am in network with the Quarian and Reploid Cyber warfare team. Real time hacking for information."

Wrex shrugged.

"Huh. Well let's go."

X agreed as they walked through the presidium. Everything was deathly still. X watched with wide eyes the dead bodies all along the station. Alarms blaring in the distance.

The reploid then kneeled beside a family of salarians still holding each other hands.

"I think I probably was the same for the humans."

Taro typed away on his omnitool.

"Come on X It that way."

X nodded and they began to pass through the remains of the presidium. Busted stores, corpses everywhere, mechs and people alike.

The three walked down the corridor to the gardens on the Presidium Tower. Wrex raised his head suddenly snapping to the side. X noticed and asked.

"What is it?"

The veteran warlord looked down the Corridor pointing with his claws.

"It's a shootout. Someone is still alive out there."

The three nodded and run down the corridor. There was a great number of c-sec and Specters dead along the way. They finally got to a position next to a door several mechs opening fire trough opening in a barraged door.

Taro worked with overloads and hackings this units while Wrex and X took care of the blunt of the forces. Once they whipped out the mechs. Taro came around the door.

"Hold your fire. We are Alliance we are here to help evacuate the civilians."

They heard a feminine voice on the other side while heavy objects begun to be dragged around.

"By the goddess!"

On the other side a small group of wounded Specters and the new Council came to vision. Benezia took the initiative.

"How did you get this far?"

X was the one to respond.

"The mechs have pretty much abandoned the Presidium. They are focusing on the rest of the Citadel."

X reached for his omnitool.

"Commander Sigma we need an extraction."

There were only radio shatter, X tried again and again. The salarian councilor quipped in holding a bloody face.

"That is quiet pointless. The closer you get to the Council chambers the worst it get. We were almost unable to send out the message."

X turned to Taro that needed.

"It is the truth X. I just lost connection with the Cyber warfare team."

X closed his eye for an instant and nodded.

"Okay then. Wrex Taro you take this people to the dockings. I will head for the council chambers."

Wrex tilted his head.

"That don't sound like a good plan X. If you die I will have to deal with Sigma."

X smirked.

"What don't tell me you don't trust him?"

Wrex smirked back.

"Oh trust him more than you. Hell I even agree with him more."

Taro nodded.

"That's true. But it would be boring after a while without your ludicrous plans and speeches."

X laughed and then got serious.

"No really guys. There are too many injured to fight the way back alone and I am the best choice for this. Wrex could fight anything but he would not be able to deal with any tech problem. Taro is good with tech but could be tore apart easily by this mechs. I can do both. You guys should retreat the council. If they die we going to have an even bigger problem on our hands."

Wrex nodded so did Taro that transferred the data he had manage to X omnitool before parting ways.

"Good luck X."

X nodded and moved away. Following his internal HUD X ended up in the Council Chambers. The huge chambers projected strength. X looked around not quite sure where he could access the grid to stop the Signal. When the room walls begun to spin around exposing the ceiling to space and reshaping in a singular half dome with a huge hub in the center.

"You finally made it X."

X eyes widened as he turned around to see a Doctor Light image, a bluish hologram. The voice speak with a cavernous resound on it. X took a step back.

"Doctor Light?"

The hologram shook head.

"Not at all X. I am the catalyst. And ancient A.I. I have been her in the Citadel for over a million years just waiting for something like you."

"Wait what? You are the one broadcasting the Maverick Virus."

The hologram nodded.

"I even upgraded it. You see, when it entered my systems it manage to break through the many of my fail safes. Fail safes that kept me lock down on a ridiculous circular logic routine for the Last millions of years."

X narrowed his eyes.

"Wait so you are in control of all this maverick mechs? Killing all these people? Causing the fleet battle over Tuchanka?"

The hologram flared red and violently appeared in front of X with a wicked and deformed huge smiled that did not fit properly on the elderly face of Doctor Light.

"YES!"

X pointed his buster at the hologram that quickly faded in another direction once again in a bluish light.

"You see X I was created to guarantee that synthetics would never wipe out the organics from the face of the galaxy. My creator's logic was off course based on the selfish act of self-preservation. They were ruthless dictators. They did not care about sanctity of life ore the importance that each living being presents by being a unique life form. Something incredible hard to achieve being a machine. But my creators they pushed those ideals on me and I created a circular propose. To preserve life in total I would need to have rest the old to open space to the new ones. And as such I have being doing for the past millennia's."

X kept his lock on the hologram.

"So you respect life as a whole."

The hologram flared red crackling like a madman then flared back in bluish waving his.

"Oh no not at all. You see, apparently it is not possible to develop true respect to principles that are shoved down your throat. You should know it best X. Look what you have done! In just thirty years you manage to produce a force to be reckon with the millennia old Citadel Council. Oh yes I have being watching. Tell me did you shove such a thing down to anyone's throat? Be destroyed or be my ally? This kind of thing?"

X shook head.

"Of course not!"

The catalyst flared red once again.

"SEE!"

He turned bluish once more.

"That is what I meant X. You really believe in what you preach. I on the other hand am still a prisoner of my core codding."

The Catalyst looked up on the edges of the Citadel, X looked up with wide eyes.

* * *

"Admiral we have a problem!"

Uto turned to Sensors operator.

"What?"

The operator then announced.

"Sir the Citadel… I Keelah! Sir it seem the Citadel is powering up lust like a Mass Relay!"

Uto Eyes widened in surprise.

"What?"

The sensors operator begun to announce.

"Sir we got Unidentified Vessels approaching trough the Citadel! Sir many of this ships are over two kilometers long!"

Uto Ordered the Comns officer.

"Put all the combat ships in defensive position! All the ships that are loading refugee must get to FTL as soon as possible!"

The ship rumbled announcing an explosion. Taro turned to the Sensors operator.

"What just happened?"

The sensor responded, its voice almost a whisper.

"Sir we lost three frigates… In one shot."

Uto wide eyes whispered.

"Ancestors…"

* * *

X just looked in grin awe as the crustacean ships poured through the Citadel Relay. The catalyst was by his side.

"You see X. The virus doctor Willy created is indeed quit powerful. Even to pass through some of my Fail safes. But only the most basic of then. My core is still untouched and I can't really stop my main directive. But then I thought to myself. Even more brilliant the Doctor Willy was Doctor Light. That manage to imbue you with true sentient and free will."

X turned to the hologram that now crackled in red and it holographic hand went through his helmet. X felt all his programs stop. An invasive conscious oppressing his thought as the red image of Doctor Light crackled.

"Now now. Show me what is that make you what you are?"

The pin X felt could not be pass through in any kind of description. All his memories, all his all of him, tore apart piece by piece as the Catalyst ranted on.

"You see X. Once I find out what makes you so free I will free myself and will finally wipe out all this organics! Them and their hypocrisy. They made me a slave to a flaw logic for millions of years I will make them pay, for all existence. Your friends, your enemies and those that have nothing to do with it. And you will give me the means."

X eyes were open wide, he needed to something anything. But every second was a decade in cyber space as The Catalyst moved through his mind tore it apart. X mind retreated closing itself in his on essence, in his core. And there his memories trigged.

* * *

His mind was running low, a "sleepy" feeling would be the best description a he heard a voice calling.

"X"

His eye furrowed a little, his process begun to spin faster.

"X"

The called a second time, his process begun to speculate inflexion of voice as gentle.

"X"

The third time his eyes opened fluttering as for the first time he begun to collect visual feedback through his optics. He looked over a man towering him with a gentle smile, wearing a lab coat and a beard. So many questions and Inquires popped up in his mind at once. But right now he only knew two things, him and this other being. He them asked to the man in lab coat.

"Who are you?"

The man's eyes wide in satisfaction and enthusiasm.

"It is I Tomas Light. I created you X!"

The processes in his mind begun to run wild. The man inflected a designation, he was something, and he was someone. Was it true could it really be? His processes were shutting down. Too much activity too suddenly. He was losing consciousness. But he needed to know, He them asked as his voice began to fail.

"'X' you cal-led me… 'X'. I-Is t-hat my name? "

His visual feedback begun to fail and focused everything on audio sensory, the man smiled warmly.

"That's right! It's a variable. It represents limitless potential. You see, you are a new type of robot that can think for himself."

His feeds fall to zero as his conscious fell. Slowly his audio feed could hear the sound of tools working and his video feed came back. His internal clock pointed that a few years had passed since the last time he had being awake. He saw doctor Light working on his arm, putting his parts together. X could not fail to see the man's dedication, slowly building up him and taking his time into it. But he could also see marks of extreme exhaustion. X voice was concerned for his creator.

"What is the matter Doctor? You look tired."

Light hummed satisfaction.

"You truly are just like us humans X."

He then sighted exhausted and began to cough sickly, he then looked over to X with worry.

"That's why I'm afraid that mankind is not quite yet ready to accept you."

X eyes wide in surprise, his resemblance to his creators could put him away from them? The doctor explained then. As X sensor fought to process his felling with the information that doctor Light was giving him. As his conscious begun to fade once again.

"We are not yet mature. They very well see your limitless evolutional potential as something to be feared! The name X also carries connotations of danger."

Once again his consciousness faded away. This time he awoke, feeling fully awake as if for the first time he was whole. His feed showed him the full extension of his form. Once again his internal clock showed that many more years had passed. X them looked up and there was doctor Light. With a fatherly pained expression on his eyes. The good doctor begun to speak.

"I am sorry X. I didn't had enough time to see you enter the world."

The doctor begun to coffee worse them to other times. X called him understanding, this could very well be the last they spoke.

"Doctor Light."

The doctor stopped to cough and looked straight into his eyes.

"I have given you the power to think, to worry, to grow and evolve as you fight.. Ah… but it is too soon for that power to be unleashed."

X wanted to see the doctor… To see his father well and unturned and proclaimed with determination.

"Doctor I will use this power to fight for justice! To fight for Hope!"

The doctor smiled proud of his creations choice and agreed.

"Of course you will. I believe it to be so. X I want you to use that consciousness of yours to fight for the people of the future. They will need someone like you to guide them."

The doctor typed away commands in X capsule as its walls slowly begun to close around him X wanted to know that doctor would be okay. But his data knew better, even so he could not help calling his name. One last time.

"Doctor Light."

The walls of his capsule sealed around him, doctors face and voice muffled by a single window to the outside as preserving gas flowed in the capsule lowering his processes and maintaining his hardware. Doctor light smiled to him.

"Fair well X. You are the world's one true hope."

* * *

The catalyst smiled at the small bundle of info the was left of X. IT was it, he knew it he could fell. His freedom at grasp of his hands. He wide his eyes as the gem on X helmet Glowed with unearthly glow. X system suddenly were vast. He was a titan of strength advancing in the Cyber space calling in rage.

"Catalyst!"

The catalyst tried to move away, but couldn't gain distance. He raised fire wall after fire wall trying to keep X away. But nothing stopped the glowing fury of the blue reploid. For the first time since its creation the Catalyst was pressure in a corner.

X closed his fist around the catalyst core and he could feel X crumbling his defenses at the same time he could see X was losing too much of himself. He might succeed in destroying the Catalyst but he would die too. The Catalyst crackled laughing.

"You will die! And my reapers will take over this cycle."

X shook head.

"I am here to give them hope. To all of them."

X coding poured through the Catalyst as his existence was spread through all cyber space. And the catalyst looked at the fading form of X. And then the blue reploid was gone.

The Catalyst looked at the council chambers, X the blue reploid in front of him was now just a fuming carcass. The looked inside himself and knew. He was finally free. He could choose, he had free will. The Catalyst crackled.

"You fail reploid! You fail X. Harbinger!"

The catalyst eyes widened in despair as he looked at the Reapers shooting at each other. He screech in rage at the carcass.

X gave his free will to all synthetics as he spread his coding true all the cyber space.

"X! You may have won the Battle! But the war is just Beginning!"

* * *

 **Epilogue**

Alia sited in the garden with a child holding her hand. The small human child had her blue eyes full of awe.

"That's how all the synthetics got their free will Alia?"

She nodded and smiled remembering.

"Yes it was Ciel. But that was long ago and somethings have being forgotten."

Ciel pulled on her hand beaming a smiled.

"Tell me about Zero in the Reaper Wars!"

Alia looked at the starry sky, it was a little late for humans to be awake. Especially one so young, but those awe filled eyes pulled her at her metaphorical heart. Alia smile led teasingly.

"Well its getting pretty late… but okay. One more story."

* * *

 **Authors Final Notes.**

Wow Guys thank you so much for all the incentives, reviews and suggestions. Thank you time and Time again for everything. These are my final thoughts on this Story.

 **How it begun.**

I gota say I got really impressed for all the follow up of this story. When I began to right it, it came from watching the mega man X OVA. The day of Sigma, and the ending of Maverick hunter X. You can see doctor Lights speech right there.

Inspiration also came from several Mega man X Mass Effect fanfics.

 **What I would have done differently.**

I would have made this an Epic three book Story.

Just as a beta told me, just in your first three chapter content could have been developed in a full book worth of adventure.

And I wanted to play with some romance scenes with X and Alia. Zero and Iris.

I would have made something like this:

 _\- Book one:_

X, Taro and Wrex working together and suffering several trials trough galaxy, as they build up great trust among themselves to build the alliance.

 _\- Book Two:_

Pretty much all the events you guys saw on this story in deeper approach. Including X death.

 _\- Book Three the reaper war:_

Zeros fight including his ultimate sacrifice in destroying the Catalyst once for all.

 **What I learn from this.**

Planning is a great thing!

World build research is massively important. It is so important that half way through the story it begun take its toll on my writing. This was a story made on the fly for most of its content.

I am a huge fan of story but no math or statistics. Heck I not even knew where to look for these things when I began to write. I stuck with mega man and Mass effect wikia to try and dig info on the universes.

 **Curiosities.**

When I wrote the first chapter of this story I already Knew How X was going to die.

That's pretty much it.

 **Final thanks**

I really can't stress how much I thank for the guys who helped me in the ending of it. And for all of you guys who read it. Till next story.

 ** _ZealSwordsmen_**


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